Plateau Pionier Landhaus Schmiedhof – Verena & Anton Hiltpolt

Even in the entrance area of the house, one holds history in their hands. "The oldest door in the house dates back to the 13th century from the Stift Stams," Anton can tell. His father also had a good eye and often sought out old torn down and dismantled items. At home in the Hiltpolt's forge in Seefeld, these things were then stored and reprocessed. "Even the former door of the Magnus Chapel in Leithen has found a new home with us." Likewise, many old roof beams or other wooden elements from old farmhouses, for example from the Ötztal, have been preserved. Nowadays, reclaimed wood is in high demand; in the past, no one cared about it. But the family has always known: "Wood has several lives - from the roof beam, boards are made, later a bed, a table, or a bench, and in the end, warmth in the tiled stove."

That you can make something new out of old things is something Anton and Verena learned as children. Anton was always allowed to work in his father's workshop – "at first it was more of a must, then it became a privilege," he admits with a laugh – Verena watched her mother while she sewed. "We grew into it and passed it on to our children as well." Anton has always built the beds in the house himself. When his son recently moved into his own apartment and made his own bed in the workshop, it made the father really proud. "Well, he learned that we don't buy beds around here," laughs mother Verena.

Buying, consuming, and throwing away is rather foreign to the family. "In the past, there was often a need to be frugal and to preserve things," Verena admits. "But we have never lacked for anything. Perhaps we perceive it more as a privilege to preserve things." The Schmiedhof is anything but old-fashioned. Old items are cleverly processed and combined with a few new elements, so that modern comfort is not lacking, yet the warmth and support from the past is still tangible. An old cooking pot as a stylish lampshade with a modern energy-saving light is just one example of upcycling at its finest. The play shelf and the book shelf in the hallway offer both old and new items for borrowing and trying out – and exemplify a circular economy in practice. For Verena, decluttering does not mean throwing things away, but rather circulating them again. To extend this practice beyond her own home, she set up the Seefelder book cell a few years ago, where books and small toys come and go, changing their owners.

Everything at the Schmiedhof comes from a natural source, nothing appears artificial or implemented according to guidelines. The fact that apartments, rather than rooms, are rented here is also a natural development. "We were probably one of the first apartment houses in the 1980s," recalls Anton. However, the decision for this had nothing to do with a drive for innovation, but was, like so many things, practical. "My mother passed away early, and my father had to take care of us kids, the business, and the house – there simply wasn't enough time for room rentals." The apartments remained even when Verena and Anton took over the house in the 1990s. This did not diminish the closeness to the guests. "We were and are always there, answering every question and sharing the garden and courtyard with everyone." There are no house rules, inventory lists, or signs; people simply communicate with each other. "Or, when it comes to sustainability, one simply lives it out."

Verena and Anton find it easy to manage apartments sustainably. "The whole kitchen topic is eliminated, and there is little waste and laundry." The house operates energetically with district heating, solar, photovoltaics, and its own stoves. The use and production of local food - tap water, eggs, honey, various juices, and jams - are either demonstrated or offered to guests for tasting. "We don't want to preach," says Verena. "We make it nice for ourselves and let the guests join in." She sees her offerings in forest bathing, nature pedagogy, and storytelling sessions in the fairy tale reading barn in the same light: "It brings me joy to inspire someone with our lifestyle and love for nature." Even the signs in the biodiverse garden subtly point to a sustainable attitude. "We are quite messy here because it helps nature" is one of the humorous indications that carry so much truth.