Located in Karlsruhe, Germany, this modern 4-storey house is built on a historic site and is surrounded by traditional architecture houses. The only witnesses of the old site are the perimeter walls that enclose the property on three sides and the small pavilion by the entrance wall. Christ.Christ associated architects placed the house at the back of the plot, reachable via a forecourt. A part of the cube that forms the house has been cut out, leaving a hallow that serves as carport. There are two entrances into the house, both situated on the first floor, which is at ground level. One of the entrances is a traditional one, reachable from the carport via a short flight on stairs. The other one is on the side of the house, via a concrete ramp, and leads to the elevator. Out of the four levels, three are above the ground and one is semi-excavated. This lowest level houses an indoors pool and the technical rooms. The ground level is the main living space, while the top two floors serve for the children’s and the parents’ night areas.
The front facades presents itself as a concrete frame with a metallic structure and glass walls. The triple glazing has great energetic proprieties that regulate the temperature in the house during the hot and the cold seasons. Individual exterior window shutters allow for even better temperature and light regulation and also offer privacy when needed.
The pool level is buried on three sides, while the excavated side is completely glazed, bringing in the necessary amount of natural light and some sunshine.
The main living room is under double ceiling height. A glazed staircase lines one of the walls leading up to the second level, that is made up partly of a gallery overlooking the main living room and partly dedicated to the children’s night space.
The dining room is furnished with design icons such as Eames for Vitra chairs and USM modular sideboards.
The open plan kitchen is located under the gallery. The design is minimalistic and somehow futuristic, completely in steel. The coldness of the steel is balanced by the wooden floor that covers the whole level.
The top floor is the parents’ floor. The space is kept open like a loft, and there is a rooftop terrace lined with potted bamboo trees. The floor-to-ceiling glass walls open nice views on the lawn and the ancient pavilion by the gate.
The bare concrete staircase is protected by glass walls that let the light circulate freely between the floors.
