Strategically located, the new building at Esslinger Straße 18, designed by the architecture firm Kauffmann Theilig & Partner, expands the residential offerings and, with a drugstore, enhances the local amenities of the city center in Ostfildern's largest district, which is home to over 10,000 residents. The building is formally conceived as a volume maximized within constraints—always carefully considered to integrate seamlessly with the surrounding existing structures. The angled south façade, for instance, results from compliance with setback regulations and alignment with the neighboring rooflines. Carved into this form are generous loggias assigned to the residential units. The building mass is further articulated through offset positioning, surface treatment, and material variation, creating two distinct volumes that echo the fine-grain character of the surrounding context. Toward the street, the façade folds outward dramatically, marking the entrance to the drugstore below. Here, the two volumes differentiate themselves visually through distinct brick colors and varying window and building heights. Prominent "cuts" into the volume are emphasized by anthracite-colored metal cladding, which also extends through the window openings. Together, these framed reveals create horizontal window bands. Floor-to-ceiling glazing functions as French balconies, providing residential units with a connection to exterior space. On the courtyard side, a similar composition emerges through varied stucco finishes and the staggered arrangement of the two building masses with offset balconies.

At ground level, the site is fully developed for the drugstore. Toward the courtyard, this creates an expansive terrace that serves the senior co-housing community above, operated by the City of Ostfildern. Central, barrier-free circulation via elevator is provided through the continuous commercial use on the north side, with a generously proportioned entry zone serving one- to three-bedroom apartments on the second and third floors, arranged as five- and six-unit modules respectively. The penthouse above is set back from the street frontage, remaining largely invisible from that perspective while integrating visually into the building volume from the courtyard side. The existing parking structure of the adjacent adult education center has been expanded to serve the new building. The basement also provides tenant storage, laundry, bicycle, and waste facilities for residents.

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(Published in CUBE Stuttgart 01|21)