This house has a great name. It is called "Star of the South". Why? We don't know. Maybe because it's in the south of Regensburg? In a survey, it was even voted the public's favorite in 2018.

Fabi Architekten, the office of Nina and Peter Fabi from Regensburg, designed and planned it. The first thing you notice is that it is built in the style of "rural modernism", as the architects put it: smooth grey-brown plaster with larch wood cladding on the two front sides; the wooden battens framed with hot-dip galvanized steel; a saddle roof covered with red roof tiles instead of a flat roof. A solid brick masonry building and yet a little experimental. The architects make use of the slope of the hillside plot and allow the house to cantilever over the basin in the basement. The semi-underground garage entrance with two to three parking spaces is also located here on the northern narrow side. Another "accessory" is the frameless all-glass pane spanning the entire storey, which was inserted into the timber façade on the northern narrow side.

The building is unobstructed on three sides and surrounded by meadows and fields. A kind of ramp leads barrier-free to the house entrance in the east, the garden side faces west - for good reason: from here you have a beautiful view of the countryside and the Danube valley. A special feature here - as it is often a bit draughty in westerly winds - is a glass loggia as a kind of beach chair, which is cut into the façade. On the first floor you can sit here sheltered from the wind and on the upper floor the loggia is located in front of the bathroom and sauna, as an outdoor seating area with protection from the weather on both sides, so to speak. This element connecting both floors creates a lot of light inside, while a floor window also provides light in the basement.

Each project of the architectural office is created as if in a factory, it develops from the conditions on site and, of course, the wishes and requirements of the clients. So the most important question for the clients is always: What features should their house have? The idea of an interior sauna with a loggia gradually crystallized and became the defining element of the design. A filigree cantilevered staircase leads to this wellness area in the center of the upper floor. The master bedroom with its large sliding window faces south. The two children's bedrooms are on the opposite side.

The basic mood of the mix of materials used is continued inside. Oak was used for the rustic built-in furniture, as well as for the floors. This is contrasted by black furniture fronts and concrete-colored tiles. A long bench connects the dining area with the living area and merges into a living room piece of furniture. A reclining window allows a wide view of the landscape even in bad weather. There is also space for a study on the first floor. All the built-in furniture in the house was also designed by Fabi Architekten.

Living space: 230 m²
Plot size: 780 m²
Construction time: 11/2016-8/2017
Construction method: Brick masonry
Energy concept: Gas condensing boiler with solar thermal system

www.fabi-architekten.de

(Published in CUBE Munich 01|20)