The brief was clear: a flat roof and a roof terrace overlooking Stuttgart's southern skyline. What they found was a modest 1950s gabled house perched halfway up a hillside—at least with genuine potential for those views. Frey Architects transformed it completely. Their solution: a bold, monolithic structure that leaves the original's fragmented elements behind. The old gabled roof came down entirely, replaced by a single-story timber-frame flat-roof addition. Building codes required this as a recessed upper level, which elegantly freed up the space for the desired terrace. Natural oak wood—used in the terrace decking, the roof framework, and window frames—creates a warm continuity. The entire facade is finished in a soft grey textured plaster, with the natural oak frames serving as the visual bridge between interior and exterior materials.

The architectural language that shaped the exterior guides the interior equally. Here, existing walls were dismantled to reveal clean lines, abundant light, and new sight-lines throughout. A soaring central void anchors the design, linking the generous ground-floor living spaces to the upper-floor gallery and circulation. Rooms flow seamlessly in both directions, and everywhere you turn, you're drawn toward those spectacular southern views.

To strengthen this connection further, the architects opened the facade toward the garden, bringing the landscape back into the home's consciousness. The interior circulation—organized around a central, straight staircase—was preserved. The existing timber staircase rises from the living area to the upper-gallery level, where children's and guest rooms, plus a library, cluster nearby. A new, delicate steel-staircase structure then ascends to the master suite, nestled in the new roof addition with an ensuite bath and direct terrace access.

The natural oak of the window frames echoes beautifully in the interior—not just in the flooring, but in the bespoke built-in furniture developed collaboratively between architects and client. This thoughtful material continuity transforms the geometric logic into something deeply human and complete.

www.freyarchitekten.de

(Published in CUBE Stuttgart 04|20)