Description

The property is a slope that rises from south to north and east to west. A highway runs along the north side of the valley, hence the east-west orientation with an emphasis on the west side (view of valley). The high density of the development allows only a garden courtyard of around 60 m² as the only open space for each house.

However, the courtyards are supplemented by rooftop terraces of more than 20 m². Inside: a clear-space the height of two stories above the dining area. The entire layout of the buildings (split-level section, clear-space, balustrades, inside window openings) is designed to maximize lighting.

The selected materials (light-filtering terrace roof, glass-brick walls on stairway and around courtyard) give different qualities to the light. Interior and exterior spaces are interwoven with great complexity; the terrace becomes a loggia, the courtyard is transformed into a garden room.

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Originally published in: Oliver Heckmann, Friederike Schneider (eds.), Floor Plan Manual Housing, fourth revised and expanded edition, Birkhäuser, 2011.