What a tree! That was one of the first thoughts during the site visit. No wonder this tree was and is protected. The whole plot was overgrown, and it was clear that as much of the greenery as possible should be preserved. Unfortunately, there were also some diseased trees that could not be saved, just like the existing, dilapidated bungalow. The plot was not easy to plan, not only because of the existing trees but also due to the building regulations. Within the tight framework conditions, a very compact semi-detached house for two families with three roofs was built, which not only makes optimum use of the eaves height regulations but also provides great spaces inside.
The aerial view shows the existing trees and the limited space on the plot. The house was positioned as far north and west as possible. This created well-proportioned garden areas for the two units, as well as space for the required bicycle and car parking spaces on the east side of the property. To complement the existing greenery, all new plants were chosen from native trees and shrubs.
Each half of the house was designed with a large light well to allow for good living space on the lower floor. The light wells were spanned with nets, allowing the wooden facade extended into the basement to remain visually perceptible.
The house was built using timber frame construction. The cavity insulation consists of cellulose (recycled newspaper), and glue-free wood fiber boards were used as an airtight layer. The outer finish under the façade cladding and the interior installation level were made with wood fiber insulation. Heat and domestic hot water are generated using an air-to-water heat pump with a coolant that is not harmful to the climate. Only a bathroom exhaust air system was installed for ventilation. Overall, the building meets the KfW 55 standard.
The three roofs not only create exciting interior spaces but are also ideally designed for maximum utilization with photovoltaics. Visually, the roof edge of the silver sheet metal roof has already been raised to integrate the pv into the design. For cost reasons, the installation was postponed until the coming years.
The façade made of black-glazed, horizontal spruce boards was combined with cheerful yellow sun protection awnings. The silver rain pipes visually divide the house into six parts.
When designing the façade, attention was paid to achieving a good balance between closed and open areas. Each side of the house features a large sliding door leading to the terrace on the south side, spanning almost the entire width of the interior.
The entrance doors, as well as the windows, were made from white-glazed spruce wood. The canopy integrates with the two entrances and incorporates the materiality of the main roof as a design element. Textured glass was chosen—translucent and visually appealing, providing an enjoyable aesthetic effect.
The net above the atriums is not only particularly translucent compared to conventional light well grids, but also serves as a comfortable sunbathing area when the weather is nice. The atriums provide each half of the house with a good lounge area and a daylight bathroom in the basement.
The floor plans of the two halves of the house are almost identical. However, the residents were free to choose the materials for the interior design. While the western half of the house opted for ash floorboards in combination with white-oiled spruce for skirting boards and built-in furniture, the eastern half of the house chose herringbone parquet made of oak and transparent-oiled spruce. This is easily recognizable in the otherwise identical hallways on the upper floor.
The Stairs were planned extremely compactly around a shelf unit. This not only serves as storage space but also functions as the supporting structure for the steps. In the west house, the stairs are made entirely of white-oiled spruce, while in the east house, they are a combination of oak and spruce.
The Steps have a very simple design and are placed on lateral supports, then bolted together.
The simple step design not only saves space and material, but also allows Natural Light to enter the stairwell.
The first floor is designed as one large room for living, cooking, and dining, zoned by a step that also creates more ceiling height for the lounges in the basement. The houses differ in the layout of the ground floor. The Living Room of the West House is positioned towards the garden, with the kitchen located on the north side.
The Kitchen in the East House is located where the living room is in the west house, facing the garden. The dining area is also located there.
A special feature of the kitchen in the east house is that an old, white fitted kitchen has been combined with new, mint-colored elements. New and Old come together to form a harmonious whole.
A particularly beautiful detail of the old kitchen is the Spring-Operated Lift-Up Cabinet for kitchen appliances, which is concealed under a flap on the cooking island. This cabinet was refurbished and integrated into the new solid oak worktop.
The kitchen in detail: fronts painted with linen oil, modern oak handles that match the old kitchen, and sockets integrated into the front.On the first floor, there is a large seating window where you can relax with a view of the garden. In the eastern half of the house, the bench is made from oiled spruce.
The Rooms on the Upper Floor are all cottage-shaped due to the shape of the roof. The middle room is currently used as a dressing room for both families but can also serve as a children's room.
There is also a larger room on the upper floor in each half of the house. This was furnished by the family in the east house as a workroom.
In House West, on the other hand, the Bedroom, which was designed by the residents with wallpaper, is located in the large room on the upper floor.
There is one shower room per half of the house on the upper floor. In the east house, Solnhofen natural stone tiles salvaged by IFUB* from the demolished bungalow were used for the flooring. These were complemented with plain white tiles, creating a striking contrast with red grout lines.
The Shower is located in a corner of the L-shaped shower room on the upper floor. A wall niche provides space for soap and other shower accessories.
For the Shower Room in House West, the residents combined gray marbled tiles for the floor with pink wall tiles. A large wall mirror visually extends the window and brings even more brightness into the room.
The Bath with a view of the atrium is located on the lower floor. From the bathtub, you can look through the window into the sky. The floor tiles in the east house are salvaged terracotta tiles (purchased via classified ads) laid in a herringbone pattern, combined with plain white wall tiles, accented with mint-colored joints.
The material concept in the basement and upper floor of the West House was also coordinated. In the bathroom, the same floor tiles as on the upper floor were combined with differently colored orange wall tiles.
Thanks to the atrium, a good additional living area could be created in the basement next to the utility room and the laundry room. This can be used, for example, as a master bedroom.
Even if only selectively, materials from reuse or remnants were salvaged in some areas. For instance, the tiled floor in the entrance area of the East House complements the new oak parquet flooring.
