The building plot is located on the edge of the Lank-Latum district of Meerbusch. The clients, a couple with two children, wanted a compact house with views of the garden and the neighbouring lake. It was to be flooded with light, with large window elements that could be slid open onto the terraces, and designed in a modern, minimalist style that was not too purist or artificial. From the outset, it was clear that Corten steel – naturally weathered by a rust-red oxidation layer – would play a special role in the design.

DDJ Döring Dahmen Joeressen Architects from Düsseldorf, who were entrusted with the commission, developed a design for the relatively narrow but elongated plot that connects the two structures of the house and double garage with the aid of an elongated wall. The two volumes are kept compact and reduced to clear, cubic geometry – only on the garden side does the structure of the house shift slightly, forming a canopy and shading the southern glass front. The main feature of the design is the elongated connecting wall, which is accentuated by solid, floor-to-ceiling Corten steel panels. The panels continue to the garage, where they can be moved by a mechanical control system to also function as a garage door. In terms of design strategy, the wall divides the interior and exterior spaces into two completely separate areas: this allows for the creation of a secluded outdoor seating area cut out of the building structure in close proximity to the entrance area. The dominant wall continues inside the building – here, logically, in a dark metallic look without the outer oxidation layer. It forms the backdrop to the central staircase, separating the cooking and dining area from the entrance and staircase area. The end of the wall is marked by the free-standing, vertical element of the fireplace: From this central point of the house, the views fan out to both sides of the wall, out into the three gardens, each of which is designed differently. The biggest challenge for the architects was to integrate the required room layout into a flowing floor plan and to give the rooms a spacious character. Even from the entrance, which is shielded from the street, there is a central view through the house into the garden. The ground floor comprises a small entrance hall with cloakroom and guest WC, as well as a central utility and technical room with the heat pump. Upstairs, there is a study and two children's rooms, connected to a bathroom. On the garden side, a separate parents' wing opens up across the entire width of the building, connected to a dressing room and master bathroom. The different living areas have been deliberately designed with different materials: the outer façade cladding with light-coloured clinker bricks is echoed in the light-coloured polished exposed screed floor. Colour accents are provided by the anthracite-coloured kitchen block and the kitchenette clad with reddish-brown rosewood fronts.

www.ddj.de

Photography Credits:

Manos Meisen
www.manosmeisen.de

(Published in CUBE Düsseldorf 02|22)