Description

Architects Becher+Rottkamp’s new building project on the edge of an industrial estate is an experiment combining living and work and a remarkably successful example of modern housing. The site is opposite former railway halls, now converted, open spaces and allotments; this made relatively dense development possible. The building costs had to be kept low, and the construction was to be energy-saving. A chain of three units was developed, in a comb-shaped structure. They are parallel, two-storey blocks that can contain living and working rooms or the bedroom area on both the ground or the upper floor. They are connected on the access side in the northeast by a single-storey building containing more spaces for living and working and allowing for roof terraces.

This combined approach to living and working provides fellow occupants with scope and distance as a courtyard is provided in each case. The latter also offers a wide range of possibilities as a working yard, playground or garden, and retains the existing trees. The large usable areas designated ‘studios’ can be used flexibly and can also be extended to suit individual requirements. The neutral character of the ground plan is also reflected in the overall appearance of the group of buildings: reduced forms, clear contours and thought­fully disposed, well-considered elements demonstrate the attitudes of the occupants of this terse and yet elegant architecture with lavish space.

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Originally published in: Klaus-Peter Gast, Living Plans: New Concepts for Advanced Housing, Birkhäuser, 2005.