Around 100 years ago, the architect Ludwig Mies van der Rohe founded the building principle of the detached bungalow - and the associated ideas of spatial freedom, variability and transparency. Architect Ben Dieckmann from Meerbusch has taken up these ideas: He based his design for a home for a young family with three children on these ideas and reinterpreted them. Instead of steel and concrete, the building relies on wood as a regenerative building material, which you only discover at second glance. The starting point was a spacious plot with a dilapidated and oversized house. However, the garden had beautiful trees that were to be preserved when the existing building was demolished. The urban planning regulations only permitted a single storey with an attic on the plot. Accordingly, an elongated rectangular building was erected, integrating the garage and property walls facing the street. The staggered storey set back above this may not take up more than two thirds of the first floor area. For this reason, the first floor was enlarged by dispensing with a basement, and storage and technical rooms, which are traditionally housed in the basement, were arranged on the first floor facing the street in a single-storey component. The new building with green flat roofs was constructed entirely using a prefabricated timber frame construction with wood fiber insulation. The beam construction of the storey ceilings remained visible throughout. This gives direction and structure to the garden-facing rooms in particular. A clear floor plan consistently zones the house: the ancillary rooms on the first floor, which face the street to the north, are lit by a skylight strip that also protects them from prying eyes. Living, cooking and dining areas are located on the other three sides, with floor-to-ceiling glazing providing plenty of daylight and views of the garden. External sun protection and a cantilevered canopy over the outdoor seating area protect against overheating. Both the white plastered exterior façade and the wooden interior walls and ceilings are finished in a monochrome shade of white. This is combined with a light herringbone parquet floor that extends across all living and sleeping areas. A staircase with thin stringers made of raw steel adds a sculptural accent. In terms of energy, the bungalow meets the energy standard of a KfW55 house. This is achieved through the high level of insulation resulting from the construction, controlled ventilation of the living space and the use of a geothermal heat pump. The latter is also used to cool the building in summer. The flat roof is extensively greened and has a PV system with storage.

www.BenDieckmann.com

Photos:

Dirk Matull
www.dirkmatull.de

(Published in CUBE Düsseldorf 04|23)