Description

The house is divided into two very distinct layers, which are also clearly differentiated typologically: the upper floor plan is compartmentalized and divided into smaller spaces, while the lower plan is entirely open and generously orientated toward the outdoors. The rooms on the upper floor are designed in various heights: master bedroom and children’s bedrooms, bathrooms, anterooms, and dressing rooms project into the lower living area.

The latter is structured by these differences in height without being subdivided through dividing walls. The horizontal layering of spaces, the cut into the ground, the eye-level perspective of the horizon on all four sides, the three-dimensional relief of the ceiling, which creates intimate zones despite the open plan, all these elements combine to give the house a very unique character.

Another defining element is the atrium, – which opens to the lower level but not toward the top. With its bookshelves, soaring across the full height of the house, it serves as a connecting element between the two levels. The randomly placed openings of differing dimensions through all room layers emphasize the sculptural character of the house.

The entrance lies between the two layers, with the internal stairs leading upward and downward. The semi-basement has been cut into the ground in such a manner as to provide a sense of shelter when sitting, while offering a direct view into the garden when standing. Seen from the outside, the light, sculptural volume appears to float above the terrain.

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