At first glance, House LILI presents itself as a quiet, almost fortress-like volume—windowless to the outside and deliberately restrained. The flat site, located in the easternmost part of Lower Austria, is separated from the densely vegetated banks of the Leitha River by a local road. Its surroundings are characterised by a heterogeneous fabric of detached single-family houses, while the Rosalia Hills rise to the east. These urban conditions informed the building's distinctive outward appearance, which may initially seem unconventional yet responds precisely to its context.
Two mirrored L-shaped volumes, connected by covered transitional spaces, enclose a generous central courtyard. The asymmetrical, gently pitched gabled roof reaches its highest point above the living area, giving the house its defining identity towards the street. Large openings facing the courtyard and the single-storey composition establish a compelling dialogue between the inward-focused courtyard architecture and the undulating landscape of the Rosalia Hills. This residential typology provides privacy and protection from the adjacent road while allowing the heterogeneous surrounding development to disappear from everyday experience.
Pedestrian access is through a timber sliding gate, passing a small light court before arriving—sheltered from the weather—at the heart of the project: the courtyard. Arrival by car follows the same sequence; when closed, the two entrance gates are visually indistinguishable. A second sliding gate on the courtyard side, positioned on the mirrored axis, provides discreet access for garden maintenance.
Entering the L-shaped residence unfolds as a continuous walk around the courtyard. The sequence begins with a series of functional spaces that intentionally remain closed towards the courtyard before opening into the generous living area with floor-to-ceiling glazing facing the central outdoor space. It culminates in the main bedroom, which also opens directly onto the courtyard at ground level—made possible by the privacy inherent in the courtyard typology. Stepping outside, the entire outdoor space comes into view, framed by the surrounding tree canopies that rise above the low, horizontal architecture. At the centre of the courtyard lies a swimming pool beneath the open sky. Two generous, semi-enclosed openings screened with timber slats provide natural cross-ventilation while preserving the intimacy of the courtyard.
The house is constructed as a monolithic masonry structure using 500 mm clay block walls finished inside and out with mineral plaster. A traditional rough-textured Altdeutscher Putz (Old German render) gives the building its handcrafted character. In contrast to the white plastered façades, the timber gates and the two semi-transparent courtyard openings are clad in reddish-brown larch. The same restrained material palette continues throughout the interior, dissolving the boundary between inside and outside and reinforcing the architectural unity of the courtyard house.
