When the Stadtwaldviertel district emerged on the former Belgian settlement site, several structures already occupied the land. Among them were the officers' residences, now designated as historic landmarks. The challenge was clear: new residential and commercial buildings needed to integrate seamlessly with the existing framework—respecting the distinctive mature trees and preserving the settlement's character while simultaneously increasing density. Against this exacting brief, Format Architects designed an end-terrace house that sits comfortably within its context yet maintains its own architectural presence.

Spanning two adjacent parcels, the home—despite encompassing some 460 m² of living and usable space—presents a deceptively modest facade. Large fixed windows set in anodised aluminium frames punctuate the exterior, their visual impact softened by subtly textured plaster finishes. The composition descends gracefully toward the garden: from a gabled main structure, through a flat-roofed ground floor volume, down to a generous terrace. Interior and exterior dissolve into one another through careful orchestration of form and material. Canadian red cedar wraps the ground floor and garage, then continues inside as a ceiling treatment in the kitchen and dining area. A handful of steps loosely define these functional zones. The dining space reads almost as an extension of the outdoors, particularly when the corner glazing slides away entirely—elegant sliding panels that vanish discreetly into floor and ceiling tracks.

"The rooms arrange themselves around a central core, much like a clover leaf," architect Franz Markus Moster explains. This core, positioned along the entry axis, rises through all three levels as an open void, crowned by a skylight. Glazing oriented toward this light shaft allows neighbouring spaces to drink in the daylight. Tucked within this lightless core sits a screening lounge for the family. Strategically placed wall planes punctuate sightlines, guiding the eye and establishing moments of visual repose. Flush-mounted swing doors with concealed hinges, baseboards integrated into the walls—such details amplify the minimalist sensibility. The seamless polished concrete floors and white walls with their varied surface treatments reinforce this aesthetic. Sophisticated restraint, perfectly integrated.

www.format-architektur.de

Photography Credits:

Lukas Roth
www.lukas-roth.de

(Published in CUBE Cologne Bonn 04|19)