Location: Bregenz, Austria Year of construction: 1994 Architects: Karl Baumschlager & Dietmar Eberle Photography: Eduard Hueber
The Burger House stands on a site with a steep south-north slope which overlooks Lake Constance.
The building has a simple structure: the ground plan is an almost perfect 20 x 30 ft (6 x 9 m) rectangle, developed on four levels with the lower floor partly below ground level. Access is from the south via a gently sloping ramp to the middle floor where the entrance hall, visitors’ washroom, master bedroom, and main bathroom are located.
The kitchen, dining, and living areas share an open space on the floor above. The kitchen work surface is situated in an extension that
runs the entire length of the west wall. This area is lit by a large linear skylight, which also creates a distinction between the different environments of the upper floor.
The arrangement of the house is based on its section, the different functions being divided into relatively small stories. In the Burger House, however, the functional distribution is different from the usual typology: the utility space in the basement level has been converted into a type of loft or attic room, while the main reception area is located on the top floor, to take advantage of the views over the lake.
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Kitchen, dining-living room, and second balcony. |
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The east elevation: window panels on a modulated plane with a natural setting. |
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Left-hand page: Detail of the south balcony. |
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The master bedroom, a simple space with drapes for privacy. The main door, skylight, and elevation viewed from the stairway landing. |