A Sense of Home Made Visible
Unified materials—roof and façade—give this two-family home its striking character
Nestled in Kaarst's expanding western residential quarter, this contemporary two-family home commands attention—primarily due to its unified material approach. Slate covers both roof and exterior walls, creating a seamless visual flow between the two. "We worked closely with the homeowners to select slate for both the walls and roof," explains architect Caspar Indenhuck of Indenhuck Architekten, the firm responsible for the home's design and execution. "Since the family originally hails from the Bergisches Land region, this choice establishes a meaningful connection to their roots." Beyond aesthetics, the solution also fulfills the owner's vision for premium façade cladding. The complete dynamic slate cladding comes from Rathscheck in Mayen and was installed through a partnership between Riemel Bedachungen (Neuss) and Johannes Rössel Dachdeckerbetrieb (Binningen).
The family also wanted a second residential unit on the first floor, accessed through its own entrance. Parking posed another consideration, which the architects solved with a double carport. Both the carport and the entrance to the upper unit feature light larch wood cladding—a warm counterpoint to the home's dark slate. The brightly painted front façade, gently recessed and sheltered toward the garden, adds another striking contrast. True to the neighborhood's character, the architects selected a gable roof, reinforcing the home's dialogue with its surroundings.
Inside, the interior palette echoes the exterior: white walls meet pale timber tones and black furnishings. The living area features a fully integrated open fireplace—a cozy focal point that radiates warmth on chilly days, complemented by a brine-water heat pump handling the primary heating. A decentralized ventilation system with heat recovery and an integrated sauna round out the comfort features. The architects completed both full stories—totaling approximately 284 m² of living space—in just ten months.
www.indenhuck-architekten.com
www.rathscheck.de
Photography Credits:
Gerard Halama/Rathscheck
www.halama-presse.de
Julius Brauckmann
www.juliusbrauckmann.de
(Published in CUBE Düsseldorf 04|20)