A Munich family with three children dreamed of trading city life for the countryside. Their search for a spacious family home with land led them to an exceptional house in Petershausen—one that not only checked all their boxes but happened to sit next door to the parents' home. The property turned out to be an award-winning architect-designed house, its bold, expressive forms distinctive against the rural landscape. Yet time had taken its toll, and the home needed comprehensive restoration.

They turned to Christian Sandweger of arcs architekten to guide the transformation. As he studied the original blueprints and site conditions, a remarkable connection emerged: the architect who designed this 1980s house had been Sandweger's professor at Munich's University of Applied Sciences. Remarkably forward-thinking for its era, the building already met rigorous energy standards—achieving KFW 55 efficiency certification required only minor upgrades. The solid construction with wooden cladding was worth preserving as-is. Instead, the renovation addressed every interior surface: floors, walls, and ceilings received fresh attention. Removing partition walls between kitchen, living, and dining areas created a flowing, generous ground floor that breathes with openness.

The house's cathedral-like stairwell demanded special consideration. Lighter white drywall ceilings replaced the original dark wood, allowing natural light to dance through the space in an entirely new way. Expansive glass sliding doors now open fully to the garden, erasing the boundary between inside and out. The material palette speaks in deliberate restraint: natural oak for floors, stairs, windows, sills, and railings; crisp white for all walls, doors, and built-ins, with every element designed flush to the surface for seamless simplicity. The result is a home that feels thoroughly modern and refreshed within. Outside, the weathered wooden facade—now gracefully aged—remains, preserving the building's distinctive character and charm.

www.arcs.de

Photography:
Antje Hanebeck
www.antjehanebeck.de

(Published in CUBE Munich 03|24)