House Am Oberen Berg

When approaching the building via the access road an in-depth layered picture is discernible. The northeast side of the house is an addition/a combination of white cubes. Each of them is recognizable as an individual structure when viewed from close up, but seen from a distance, they merge to form a unified whole.
As you enter the house from the north-east via the two-storey entrance hall, the floor-to-ceiling glazing facing southwest opens up onto the garden. One can look out over the pool in front of the house, and across the valley towards the hills opposite. In this entrance hall (as in the whole house), visitors are aware of an interplay of open and enclosed spaces stretching between transparent expanses of glass and protective walls. This layout satisfies both the occupants’ need for security and, on the other hand, for openness and a connection with the surrounding natural landscape.
If necessary, the house can be divided into units of varying sizes without major constructional work being required, thus offering its occupants maximum flexibility and permitting a suitable way of living for every lifestyle and family situation. This multi-generational villa is a new and sustainable reinterpretation of the old dream of a house that can grow and shrink within the same building shell.
The house’s southwest orientation, its generous glazing and the dark floors ensure maximum passive solar gains. A large-surface solar system on the roof and a geothermal heat pump complement the energy concept.



Nominiert für den Mies van der Rohe Award 2009