Description

Located in a wooded urban district with open blocks, this ensemble consists of three very different structures. While the renovated villa and the atelier house are reflective of the surrounding heterogeneous building types, the residential building in the center adheres to its own design language. Formally inspired by the protected tree stock of the vicinity as well as the structure of rock formations, the built figure is embossed with vertically alternating surfaces and shaped to leave enough room for the surrounding trees. The result is a floor plan with four multi-faceted wings, which appear to grow into the clearings.

The resulting amorphous shape continues on the inside and is translated in the building’s footprint – with one apartment in each wing – into a cluster of adjoined, skewed polygons. These combine to create a succession of open spatial linkages which widen and narrow, allow diverse views into the surroundings or connect to neighboring rooms. A spatial path thus emerges in each of the four, slightly vertically offset apartments. The path begins at an entrance hall directly accessed by elevator; it is at times angled toward one or the other view of the garden while leading past an initial living space, then narrows near the kitchen and opens at the end into a living room lit naturally from three sides – one of which contains a loggia. Enclosed “chambers” with intentionally smaller doors lie along this path and join to form separate groups of rooms – for instance with their own corridor, bathroom, dressing room, or as connected bedrooms.

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Originally published in: Oliver Heckmann, Friederike Schneider with Eric Zapel (eds.), Floor Plan Manual Housing, fifth revised and expanded edition, Birkhäuser, 2018.