The south-facing semi-detached house of a family of four has four floors: an underground basement, a partially underground ground floor with garden, a first floor with street-level access from the north, and an attic.
The existing floor plan design seemed too rigid to the clients and not tailored to their personal preferences. Moving away from right angles was intended to relieve the initial rigidity and create more fluidity. Additionally, the client wished for an opening planned on the ground floor to become a special feature.
In addition to reorganizing the floor plans, the internal access of the semi-detached house needed to be reconsidered. The partially underground ground floor and the first floor each have external entrances on the north side of the building. The challenge was to connect two entrance areas on different floors through an open staircase, without completely eliminating the separation between living and retreat areas. Both entrances should be usable by both the residents and guests.
The open staircase becomes a central connecting element. A spatial sculpture made of lacquered sheet steel develops through the staircase core upwards and serves as a guardrail. Perforated areas in the folding create transparency and make the staircase a unifying light catcher.
On the ground floor, there is a living room with a kitchen and a guest toilet, while on the first floor, there are two bedrooms, a dressing room, and a bathroom. The ground floor opens to the south through a large sliding glass door onto the garden. On the west facade, a circular window breaks through the outer wall. Lined with wool carpet, the opening inside becomes a seating and lounging area. Opposite this, in front of a concrete wall, are a kitchen unit with a central kitchen block and several modular couch elements. A free-standing piece of furniture serves as a room divider usable from both sides. On the back, it functions as a wardrobe; on the front, it provides additional storage space for the kitchen, a coffee bar, and a family notice board.
The choice for the flooring fell on polished exposed concrete, oak parquet, and light gray mottled wool carpet. Black and sage green furniture fronts determine the appearance in the kitchen and living room. A cantilevered natural stone slab of Seiser basalt forms the work surface of the central kitchen block. The softness of the wool carpet on the wall with the circular window contrasts with the raw concrete. A light pink tone was chosen for the paint of the light catcher.
The clients wanted a home that would meet their needs for family life. Their needs for spacious communal areas with sufficient storage on the one hand and private retreat areas on the other were met through the reorganization of the floor plans. The transformation of the staircase into a unifying light catcher also contributed to the welcoming atmosphere.
