In the small Austrian community of Sulzberg, House K by Dietrich Untertrifaller Architekten is located on the ridge of the same-named mountain. A light and transparent looking cubic structure, the house opens up to the south floor-to-ceiling glazing while sliding wooden slats on the side fronts provide privacy and sun protection.
In response to the steeply sloping nature of the site, the program of the house is distributed over three floors. The house is entered on the street side on the top level via a wide footbridge. Here, a garage, small guest room and spacious, open living room are located.
Designed with maximum transparency, the entire south façade is glazed while the open concept living area is structured only by a free-standing kitchen unit. A wide cantilevered roof panel protects from weather and excessive sunlight.
From this entry-level, a self-supporting wooden staircase leads down to the private rooms. Clad in silver fir, the bedroom, dressing room, bathroom and sauna area arranged like previous wooden boxes. Extensive glazing and a terrace on this level mean the rooms enjoy the same panoramic feeling as above.
The basement level accommodates a granny flat and an office. From this level, one enters a covered garden terrace at ground level.
The two lower storeys are built in exposed concrete in rough plank formwork, while the roof is made of wood. Vertical silver fir strips alternating with the horizontal plank cladding of the ceiling panels characterize the façade and emphasise the strictly geometric structure of the house.
Inside, wood and exposed concrete are the main materials, resulting in a modern and at the same time cosy atmosphere. A particularly striking feature is the sophisticated staircase with glass walls, which forms a visual axis through all three floors.
