Sustainable building still has a rather neglected existence, even though discussions in the professional world often suggest otherwise. This makes it all the more gratifying when people approach an architectural firm with a specific desire for a sustainable home. Aretz Dürr Architektur shows that this does not always have to be a purely timber house. On a gentle slope in Oberbergisches Land, they developed a family's new home, which is essentially made of steel, wood and glass. Materials that are sustainable due to their recyclability.

A U-shaped concrete base compensates for the natural slope of the terrain. An elongated building rises up from this, the width of which determines the depth of the individual rooms. This is evident on the first floor, where the rooms are lined up one behind the other. Only the garage to the north shares the width with the storage rooms. Together they serve as a thermal buffer zone. By contrast, the main room of the house, which is open right up to the ridge and features a kitchen and dining area, stretches out between the glazed side walls, as does the living room to the south. The steel and timber frame construction is evident in the visible building elements. The reduced use of materials is systematic, as Sven Aretz emphasizes: "The result is an architecture that is limited to what is necessary in order to achieve the best possible results." As part of the sustainable energy concept, a corrugated metal roof spans the house far beyond the living space and creates verandas on the long sides that are protected from the sun and rain. Filigree supports accommodate the post and beam grid, connect the roof to the ground and hold the substructure of the larch wood decking of the verandas. The roof pitch and overhang are optimally adjusted to the position of the sun. In summer, the direct sun does not reach the interior, while the winter sun warms the living space and the smoothed and impregnated screed, which acts as a heat accumulator. On hot summer days, large skylights help to cool the room at night. This means that it does not get too warm in the bedrooms, which, like the bathrooms on the gable ends, are located directly under the roof. They are accessed via a steel staircase that leads to a walkway made of gratings. Even here, transparency is evident without compromising the homely character.

www.aretzduerr.de

Photos:

Luca Claussen
www.luca-claussen.de

(Published in CUBE Cologne Bonn 01|22)