This new construction sits on a narrow plot in Bergedorf, nestled between two conventional residences—a smaller home with a gabled roof and a larger one with a hip roof. The design by Berlin architects Bettina Kraus and Alexander Thomass masterfully mediates between these adjacent volumes. Drawing reference from existing building lines and heights, the architects have crafted a distinctive cubic form that integrates naturally into the landscape while redefining the country house typology. The plot's unique peripheral location grants the upper floors expansive views across the Vierlande region and into Lower Saxony.

The house's spatial organization evolved directly from the clients' precise lifestyle requirements and personal preferences. Shared family moments—dining, music-making, and sauna use—are positioned to maximize beautiful views and outdoor connections. In contrast, the individual rooms prioritize privacy and personal retreat, responding to each inhabitant's specific needs.

Three spatial principles form the architectural logic of the house. On the ground floor, communal living spaces wrap around a central, elevated core element that houses all service areas—a circular arrangement that allows residents to either converge or maintain distance depending on mood. The first floor takes a different approach, with bedrooms clustered around a central, skylit distribution space bounded by continuous built-in storage. In the attic, a sauna beneath an acrylic dome opens toward both landscape and sky. A central staircase connects all levels. Each room within the polygonal envelope has its own spatial proportion and individualized ceiling treatment.

Carved from the building's footprint, the ground-floor outdoor spaces create a covered entry zone that doubles as weather-protected parking, along with a semi-covered terrace that flows toward the garden. The monolithic form, punctuated by generous openings, connects to its clinker-brick neighborhood through custom-manufactured straight-cut brick shingles that echo the surrounding architectural vernacular.

www.krausfischnaller.com
www.alexanderthomass.de

Photography Credits:

Filip Kujawski

(Published in CUBE Hamburg 01|21)