Location: Schwarzenberger, Austria Year of construction: 2000 Architects: Dietrich + Untertrifaller Architekten Photography: Ignacio Martinez
The Innfeld House sits on the edge of a high plateau on the outskirts of the small Austrian town of Schwarzenberger. It seems to have landed there randomly, like the little shacks for drying grass that dot the nearby hills. No garden was planned, so the cultivated land comes right up to the building’s foundation.
The nearby older house, typical of the region, emphasizes the modernity of this project by architects Helmut Dietrich and Much Untertrifaller, with its restrained lines, bereft of all ornamentation, which nevertheless harmonizes with the landscape and local architecture.
From the outset, the design process was influenced by the project’s location. The designers wanted to make the most of the views of the surrounding valleys and the forests. So they planned a house whose upper level is almost transparent, with windows covering two thirds of the facade, and a large balcony, which is covered by the gabled roof.
At the rear of the house, facing northeast, three walls protect the private areas from the wind and cold. Just one sliding window and the access door break the thermal inertia of these solid walls.
The outer walls are covered with larch siding. The narrowness of the wooden strips and the fact that they come right to the corners of the building change the perception of the walls, giving the impression of a continuous flat surface, light and transpirable, concealing the bearing structure.
The traditional layout of household functions is reversed to ensure that the common areas enjoy the best views of the landscape. The bedrooms, on the ground floor, also have windows, but they are smaller and don’t enjoy the same views.
Throughout the project, the structural skeleton is concealed: the gabled roof is supported by the walls at the rear of the house and by slender posts on the balcony, so it seems to be magically suspended above the domestic spaces.
The placement of the lower-ground floor ensures that no room is without light. This level houses the utility rooms, the laundry room, and a storage area, and insulates the rest of the house from humidity.
The balcony, with exceptional views of the charming Voralberg area, has wood flooring. The rails are an extension of the outer walls, supported on slender posts anchored to the structure.
The living room, kitchen, and dining room occupy a single continuous space, which is dominated by the view of the scenery outside. Thanks to the enormous windows, the domestic spaces are flooded with natural light all day long. The kitchen furnishings were designed specifically for the project.
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Lower-ground floor |
Ground floor
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Second floor |
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