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Stacked House with additions for three families

Juri Troy Architects are the brains behind the renovation of this cool house in Lake Constance, Austria, which is stacked in more ways than one! Starting with its composition, the house features a series of stacked volumes that come together to create an intriguing exterior landscape of interior rooms and outdoor decks, balconies and a rooftop patio, all clad in natural wood. This massive timber structure is broken up with lots of windows which shine from within, rising before a tree covered hill towering in the background. Here’s the tour.
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Artful additions take shape as massive cantilevered volumes on the upper level, leaving sheltered terraces and ground-level walkouts in their wake. From the architects, “Despite the doubling of the living space the entire garden area could be preserved. Therefore both the founded building parts protrude as a pure wooden column-free construction up to 5 m above the estate.”
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The sloped property was the perfect opportunity to feature a smaller scale street side, with the main entrance tucked beneath an overhanging upper level.
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But from the back, you’ll see that this house really has two faces. The hill falls away to reveal this open, expansive wood facade with three levels. On every floor, the wood-wrapped patios and terraces are bonafide outdoor rooms that invite you to sit back and enjoy a breath of fresh air.
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The wood works its way inside, lending its organic look and feel to this otherwise contemporary style house.
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Separated only by a glass wall, indoor and outdoor areas enjoy a mutually beneficial exchange – the alfresco living and lounging spots take on an “interior” persona thanks to their close proximity to principal living areas, while the indoors enjoy these stunning views and natural light through their massive windows.
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The cool white and warm wood combination in this kitchen is modern and minimal – a nice contrast to the traditional feel of a typical home kitchen. But “typical” is something this home is not. Cabinets are crisp and clean, free of hardware and details on their smooth white faces. The contemporary backsplash brings texture and light to the space.
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Appliances and kitchen gadgets are all hidden away, making the true focus of this kitchen the view.
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It’s hard to believe that this ramshackle old residence was converted into a contemporary home packing fashion and function, and three families comfortably.
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The architects explain, “By means of using entirely high insulated cover with a silver fir shade and modern installations with a controlled building ventilation, the heating need could be even reduced, and this despite the doubling of the space. The idea of a modern three-family house as an concentrated living form represents – particularly in the scattered settlement area of Vorarlberg – an exemplary alternative to a detached one-family house.”
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The architects transformed a 1960s single-family house into a three-family home by removing the top and front volume, and replacing them with these stacked additions to double livable area without a sprawling footprint.
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The slope of the site allows the basement living areas to enjoy a walkout, eliminating that “basement” feeling and making the below-grade level as light and airy as the rest.
Juri Troy Architects
via Contemporist
photo credit: Studio 22

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