BS+EMI Architektenpartner

Description

The Seebach quarter has its roots in the concept of the garden city, and the Am Katzenbach III residential development directly relates to this idea. The buildings, which have only three storeys, are compact in their basic dimensions in an effort to integrate them into the respective future development of the quarter’s existing buildings. Slightly angled façade façades reduce the massiveness of the volumes in order to match their dimensions more closely to those of the surrounding single-family homes and terraced houses. The ongoing development will also affect the character of the outdoor spaces, which are to be connected to the »garden tapestry« of bordering plots and are intended for private use. The arrangement of the apartments and the subtly bent façades give the apartments two or even three exposures. Z-shaped layouts eliminate the need for hallways in the units, allowing for larger living spaces. The non-orthogonal geometry of the floor plans creates suspenseful, flowing rooms that are designated as entranceways, kitchens and living areas based on their floor area. In order to de-emphasise the requisite size of the building volume and tie it in with the »rural« garden city model, the houses are fitted with rear-ventilated, vertically corrugated metal façades. The balustrades surrounding the expansive balconies integrate them into the overall building volume. On the ground floor, the exposed concrete foundation slab and balustrades create a relief smoothing the transition from house to garden.