Perched on a sloping site that marks the entrance to a new residential area, this striking cubic residence commands impressive views of the Swabian Alb. Architect Bettina Müller-Fauth translated the clients' vision of a minimalist, geometric home into a beautifully balanced and sustainable design. The house stretches east to west across the full width of the plot, integrating the residence and garage as a unified form. The north facade presents itself discretely—entirely closed off. A floating concrete canopy shelters the first-floor windows from unwanted views while flooding the interior with natural light. Vertical wooden slats screen the entrance court, which rises two stories and opens east and west to the atrium. The south side reveals itself fully through expansive windows framed in anodised aluminium. Terraces on both levels are recessed into the building's footprint, creating sheltered outdoor spaces that benefit from the facade's integrated solar and privacy controls. A soaring two-story window wall in the living room dissolves the boundary between interior and exterior, visually extending the space into the garden and toward the pool beyond. Both floors accommodate open-plan living within 265 m². The moment you enter the ground level, your gaze travels directly into the two-story atrium, where a slender tree reaches skyward. Softly sculptured pendant lights of metal mesh amplify the sophisticated interplay of light filtering through the slats and canopy. A custom-designed storage wall accommodates the entry cloakroom. Alongside it, a delicate staircase with inset treads traces the freestanding wall to the upper floor. It opens directly into the kitchen and dining zone, anchored by a walnut-clad cube containing the powder room and basement stairs. Matching walnut doors soar floor-to-ceiling throughout. A large sliding door can unite or divide the living and kitchen areas as needed. A nearby utility room connects directly to the double garage, making grocery storage effortless. Upstairs, the hallway spans the house's full length with sightlines back to the entry. An eastern window accompanies the passage, bath, dressing room, and bedroom suite. Along the south side, an operable slatted element grants control over views and daylight. Constructed as a monolithic shell from aerated concrete—42.5 centimetres thick—the house requires no additional thermal insulation system. The self-sufficient energy strategy combines geothermal heating from deep boreholes, a 10 kW solar array that charges an electric vehicle and heats the pool in summer, underfloor heating, and passive solar design through carefully considered architectural shading.

www.bettina-fauth.de

Photography:

Jessica Bulling
www.jessicabulling.com

(Published in CUBE Stuttgart 01|24)