Location: Hintersdorf, Austria Year of construction: 2002 Architect: lichtblau . wagner architekten Photography: Bruno Klomfar
The challenge of this project was to create a home and office in a protected area with minimal visual impact while making the most of the setting’s physical features. Using the natural slope of the land, the project was conceived as an underground structure with few exterior surfaces and maximum heat retention. The roof becomes an extension of the high part of the land, almost completely camouflaging the building and providing a highly efficient means of thermal isolation. Part of this green roof slopes to create an interior patio and a better connection between the exterior and interior.
The plan is based on a rectangular unit divided into two symmetrical sections by the interior patio-sections that could, in the future, function as small, independent homes. Each section, in turn, is subdivided into two spaces, one facing the view and the other buried in the mountain, with the services in the center. The bedrooms sit below ground and are illuminated by inclined conduits that capture the sunlight from different
angles. Since the service areas are in the middle, the bedrooms and living areas can be divided as required; modifying the original plan would not be difficult.
All the interior finishes are wood, and many components made of prefabricated pieces were set up by the owners themselves. The structure of the only facade consists of a system of three layers of tempered glass in a light metal frame, a marriage of the latest industrial technology and the tradition of local artisanship. This strategy achieved maximum efficiency and reduced construction costs by as much as 60 percent.
|
Side elevation |
The overhead lighcing, the narrow lateral openings, and the large glass places of the facade afford a variety of relationships with the exterior and a rich interior space marked by accents of light and shadow.
Since the house has no basement, it was important to provide for as much storage space as possible on the lower level. Cabinets built inco the interior dividers and the side wall of the house fulfill this need.