Description

Dießen lies at the southwest end of Lake Ammersee in Upper Bavaria and is a town with a population of 10,000 and a rich history of arts and crafts; these are still practised today in a contemporary form.

The project initiator already owned a large site near to the lake. His wish was that a group of houses be built on the land but without involving property developers and their speculative interests. It should be a site he could return to years later and still identify with. Two units he wished to keep for his daughters, but for the remaining four he needed partners.

The concept was developed with a consistent outward appearance but varied within to meet individual needs. A homogenous ensemble was developed jointly with few differences of opinion, resulting in three semi-detached houses with a total of six units. Those that adjoin the street and children’s play area have an additional single-storey garden pavilion with its own entrance. Concrete, glass, steel and pinewood are the primary materials and are employed to give the buildings a consistent appearance.

The buildings open onto the private gardens to the south while to the north they appear hermetically sealed, protecting the private sphere of the neighbours. The units to the east have courtyard-like gardens while the large gardens of the units to the west face onto open meadows and mature trees. Inside, carefully conceived built-in fittings help organise the needs of daily life.

The project is noteworthy not only because it is an entirely private building initiative but also because the flexible floor plans mean that the units can easily adapt to changing life situations. In addition the ensemble succeeds in creating spaces for social interaction while protecting the respective private spheres of the individual residents.

The project was initiated by the private owner of the site via an advert in the local paper, seeking like-minded interested parties. The group comprises families with children.

The site owner sold the site (with planning permission) to the building collective.

A concept and preliminary design was developed together with the architects. Over a period of four months, the plans were developed and then submitted for planning permission. After acquiring planning permission and the sale of the site, the houses were then adapted over a further period of about four months to meet the respective individual needs of the future users. The construction period per semi-detached house took about 12 months, including the interior fittings and finishes and the external works.

Privately financed.

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Originally published in: Annette Becker, Laura Kienbaum, Kristien Ring, Peter Cachola Schmal, Bauen und Wohnen in Gemeinschaft / Building and Living in Communities, Birkhäuser, 2015.