With a south-facing façade fully glazed up to the top of its pitched gable roof, this house was designed by Dietrich l Untertrifaller Architekten to take advantage of views over the rolling landscape of Germany’s Swabian Alps while also serving as a future-oriented example of sustainable building materials.
Wood, glass and concrete are the main materials that characterise the design. While the basement floor is constructed with exposed concrete, the upper floors of the house are built as a timber structure. Inside, walls and ceilings are clad with silver wood, while floors are finished with ash wood. Contrasting against the light colour of the wood is a kitchen unit made up of black Nanotech panels.
In terms of interior arrangement, a single flight of stairs connects the different levels. The vertical room-to-room circulation makes long corridors all but unnecessary, thus maximizing the amount of light that floods into the open-plan spaces. Private rooms are oriented to the northeast of the site, while the living area and feature glazing open up to the southwest.
Within the high gabled roof area, a gallery is suspended to provide a unique space for a small study. The gallery also includes a bathroom so that it can be in the future used as a children’s room or extra bedroom for guests.
Another key component of the design is a covered exterior terrace with a free-standing exposed concrete table that extends the length of the living area. The wide overhanging gable roof provides plenty of shade to the covered exterior space while vertical wooden slats on the south side façade and in front of the eastern bathroom window preserve the open and transparent nature of the design while providing solar control and privacy.
