Client: Private
Location: D-72459 Albstadt, Margrethausen
Architecture: Dietrich | Untertrifaller Architekten
Project management: Felix Kruck Construction
Time: 2019-2020
Area: 190 m²
Construction management partner: Felix Kruck
Wood statics: Merz Kley Partner, Dornbirn
Wood construction & interior design: Kaufmann carpentry, Reuthe
Heating, sanitary: Glombitza Mutschler, Albstadt
Electrics: Elektro Hagg, Albstadt
Cabinet maker: Marc Nolle, Albstadt
Photos: © David Matthiessen
The tranquil Margrethausen, a district of Albstadt, is embedded in the gently rolling hills of the Swabian Alb. The hillside property on the edge of the village next to the mighty monastery complex offers an unobstructed view of meadows and forests to the south. This particular location prompted us to glaze the entire south side of the gable roof house up to the gable.
A major goal of the design and the express wish of the client was to use future-oriented, sustainable materials and to integrate the building harmoniously into the surroundings.
Except for the parts in contact with the ground, the house was built as a wooden structure. The sloping floor consists of exposed concrete. A recess on the north side marks the covered entrance to the house and the garage entrance.
A single flight of stairs, which receives daylight through a large living room window, leads from the spacious, bright entrance area with cloakroom to the upper floor. The private rooms are oriented towards the north-east on the valley side, while the living area with its glass front opens to the south-west. A gallery suspended from the roof provides space for a workroom and in some cases creates a double room height in the living room up to below the gable.
Since a small bathroom has already been set up in the gallery, a guest apartment or a children’s room can later be separated by pulling in a partition.
The air space lets daylight fall into the entrance hall on the ground floor and optically connects the different levels of the building. The vertical room-to-room development made it possible to dispense with corridors and thus gain a maximum of living space. The result is a very personal, unique living profile and a spacious, flowing feeling of space.
Exposed concrete, wood, and glass shape the entire design of the house inside and out. The walls and ceilings are largely made of silver fir, the floors of ash. The kitchen block made of black nanotech panels contrasts effectively with the light wood. The gable-high glazing towards the garden visually expands the living space to include the adjoining outdoor space.
The entire living area is framed on both sides by covered terraces. In the middle of the south side, a free-standing exposed concrete table extends the area, in the west a simple metal staircase leads into the garden. The cantilevered gable roof shadows and protects this outdoor living space and the small balcony in front of the gallery.
Vertical wooden slats on the south side and in front of the large bathroom window in the east offer privacy and sun protection without affecting the transparency of the facade design.
