ROBERT MAIER ARCHITEKTEN

Description

In the midst of a residential neighbourhood that grew up naturally in Gauting near Munich, three single-family houses with garages were erected to redensify the area. Built using ecological timber-frame construction, the houses are grouped around a shared patio whose tapered driveway separates it from the public space and marks it as a low-traffic shared play zone or communal area for the residents. The alternating arrangement of the houses resembles the growth pattern of the surrounding development. The buildings with their ridged roofs are a contemporary interpretation of the typical regional single-family homes. The clear-cut volumes are clad in black timber boards, with windows in larch timber in different squared formats generating a play of contrasts in materiality and size in the façade. Each house is entered via a foyer with a soaring open space that grants views over all storeys. The living space is located two steps deeper than the entrance and is divided by an inserted glazed loggia into dining area, kitchen and living room. The staircase meanders through the different storeys, generating spaces of varying heights with exciting visual relations. The choice of materials on the interior correlates with the exterior use of contrasting timbers.