On the outskirts of Lindlar, the homeowners purchased a 1980s detached house in a quiet residential neighbourhood. While the home's structural foundation was solid, it fell short of their family's spatial needs and lacked the warmth they sought – its heavy-paned windows and dark interiors felt far from their ideal. What they wanted was simple: a lower-pitched roof upstairs, and throughout, bright, open spaces with a contemporary feel.

The architects at bonfanti Architekten in Wiehl, entrusted with the project, made a decisive choice: preserve the ground floor and its handsome clinker brick façade, but remove the entire pitched roof and dormer. The new upper storey was designed as a complete, cleanly proportioned level topped with a gently sloping roof – all while respecting neighbouring structures under German building code requirements. Remarkably, the new roof ridge sits lower than the original. Constructed with lightweight timber framing and ecological principles, the extension was prefabricated for speed: the new storey rose rapidly after the old roof came down. The thinner timber walls, engineered without compromising insulation standards, freed up valuable interior space. The façade is clad in premium laminated composite panels that ground the contemporary design.

Inside, the rooms retained their original layout and purpose. Every window was replaced without enlarging a single opening. A sliding glass door banished the gloom from the entrance hall, welcoming daylight in. The old fireplace was dismantled and rebuilt to modern standards. A ventilation system ensures consistent air quality. The enhanced insulation delivers tangible benefits – noticeably lower energy bills. In the end, what remains is a house transformed: the family finally lives in a space that feels authentically theirs, refined to their exact needs.

www.bonfanti-architekten.de

Photography Credits:

Wolfgang Grümer
www.gruemerfoto.de

(Published in CUBE Cologne Bonn 03|21)