The construction task is the adaptation of a residential house built in 1903/1970 to the current living needs of a young family. Every conversion, regardless of its size, involves dealing with the fundamental question of the relationship between old and new. It is always a question of how respectfully a project approaches, takes up and at the same time transforms the traditionally existing. Or as Hermann Czech once put it: "The continuation of the existing consists in the formation of a new entity on a higher level. This is not explicit: the new does not stand next to the old, it rather grows out of it, is closely interwoven with it.
The design integrates both the original substance and the later, additive interventions from the 1970s. While the outside is only slightly adjusted, the inside is reformulated: On the ground floor, the central corridor, which zoned the almost square floor plan, is practically dissolved in favour of a more open spatial structure. A new wooden beam, which rests on a strong wooden support, provides static support for the first floor and at the same time allows the former cell structure to shine through. The support itself becomes the central motif of the open dining room. The spatial impression of the first floor is dynamised by the widening of the central corridor to an open play zone in the south.
Basically, each design revolves around the negotiation of the questions of tranquillity versus dynamics, openness versus unity, degree of isolation versus degree of entanglement. How large openings can a wall tolerate so that it is still visually stable? Which elements are possible in this sense to increase the degree of interlocking between inside and outside? On the ground floor, a floating concrete pedestal combined with a sliding window with surrounding walls now forms a discreet access to the garden. Although it differs significantly in type and size from the existing sash bar windows from the 1970s, it does not look strange. The house thus becomes more individualistic without leaving a certain tradition behind: it remains committed to the basic tone of the existing building.
The most important prerequisite for the strict implementation of a design on such a small, private and intimate scale is a client who is interested in spatial issues at a high level and who brings with him a corresponding sensitivity and openness. The spatial impression of such interventions is strongly influenced by the built-in furniture, the kitchen design, the colours and materials - all highly sensitive areas of competence!
