Pure white from roofline to ground: near Munich stands a semi-detached residence for two families—one that challenges convention. To escape the predictable aesthetic of row housing, the clients and their architects opted for an unconventional approach. Oriented east-west, the two side façades facing away from the street adopt the archetypal silhouette of a single-family home: a pitched gable roof punctuated by generous windows. Only a pair of side-by-side entrance doors hints at the building's true nature as a duplex. Otherwise, it presents itself as a singular, monolithic form.

What the exterior conceals, the interior reveals: each half follows a distinct floor plan. The left unit features a double basement—essential for housing a swimming pool and luxurious wellness area on the lower level, with mechanical systems below. The Munich-based firm Harder Groh faced a dual challenge: meeting the homeowners' ambitious vision while navigating strict building codes. The development plan allowed only two stories plus attic space, given the residential context of predominantly gabled single-family homes. The solution: maximum privacy for both households without compromising abundant natural light and solar gain.

The structure is reinforced concrete with a self-supporting top floor. A white-pigmented plaster, applied with a broom-finish technique, creates an intriguing surface texture that adds visual depth to the façade. Each half employs different heating strategies: the western unit relies on a high-efficiency gas condensing boiler with fuel cell technology to support the pool's demands, while the eastern half performs adequately with an air-to-water heat pump. Living areas are nearly equivalent in size—the left at 230 m², the right slightly larger at 250 m².

www.hardergroh.de

Photography Credits:

Susan Buth
www.susanbuth.de

(Published in CUBE Munich 01|21)