VON M

Description

Rising land prices and construction costs, as well as the need for a good work/life balance, which became apparent once again in the Covid pandemic, led to two houses – dug like identical twins into a steeply rising slope in the south of Stuttgart – whose floor plans allow for different forms of living today and in the future. The semi-detached houses each take up the eaves height and building depth of their neighbour and formally play out the theme of prefabrication in every detail. Because up to three storeys had to be dug into the slope, and in order to keep planning and construction costs low, a catalogue of simple details and joints was developed using precast concrete elements. The disadvantages of the material (CO₂ emissions) are compensated for by long-term flexible use, which allows for different floor plan variants as well as conversions. A cruciform floor plan scheme allows for different options for configuring interior spaces using lightweight curtains, wooden partitions and cabinets. This creates a fluid core within the robust structure, which wraps around the interior of the house like a protective shell. The four-storey houses, each currently occupied by a family, can later be used as shared apartments for the elderly, or individual floors can be separated off as granny apartments. Living is conceived here as the totality of our activities, making use by the occupants possible even in a constellation not yet defined today in an unwritten future.