Barbara Lydia Ruech

Background

About Barbara Lydia Ruech

STUDIO. BARBARA LYDIA RUECH. photographer. storyteller. architect studio@barbararuech.com. is an Austrian photographer, storyteller, architect and maker who lives between her two homes, Japan and Austria. Her passion for storytelling, crafts and nature was shaped by growing up in a mountain village in Tirol as the daughter of a family of craftsmen. As a child, she was observing skilled hands making while listening to her grandfathers captivating stories from the past around the kitchen table. Working for the renowned architect Peter Zumthor in Switzerland deepened her understanding of how architecture and its atmosphere can convey the narrative of place. After her graduation from the University of Liechtenstein with an exchange Semester at the Bergen School of Architecture in Norway, her path was followed by various renovation projects in collaboration with architects from the region Vorarlberg, known for its innovative and high quality wood architecture. In 2023, Barbara immersed herself for eight months in the lives of Japanese craftsmanship. Inspired by the simplicity, the spirit of mottainai and deep respect for tradition, she returned to Japan in 2024 to begin her research project, The Japanese house and its life as my master. Her life in Japan is intentionally simple - just enough, a second-hand car serves as the mobile home, roadside atelier, and source of adventure navigating her through the rural Japanese countryside as she works together with Japanese craftsmen and architects on the renovation of traditional Japanese houses in abandoned mountain villages. Moreover, her ability to capture the stories and soul of the everyday through photography has led to inspiring collaborations with people across Japan. Since the beginning of 2025 Barbara is teaching the design studio built heritage & upcycling at the University of Liechtenstein, together with Alberto Alessi. Her journey is unfolding in lasting friendships, inspiring insights and future collaborations. Feel free to say hello, share your dreams and thoughts, anytime. between dornbirn, austria. tokyo, japan