A family of three envisioned their dream home as simple and unpretentious, yet precisely tailored to their spatial needs. Their wish: a seamless connection between shared living spaces and the outdoors. Mantzios Architects from Leverkusen responded with a cubic design that extends the home's living spaces effortlessly onto the terrace and garden during the warmer months.

The design brief called for sensitive development of a former tennis court, carefully integrating the residence into the neighbouring woodland landscape. The open site layout allowed the building to stand as a distinctive sculptural form. Two significant challenges shaped the design: unstable subsoil requiring reinforcement and an exceptionally high groundwater level. To maintain a restrained street presence, the architects created a clean cubic form with rendered façade that transitions into a seemingly weightless garden-facing structure with an expansive terrace overlooking the pool. This interplay of single and two-storey volumes reduces the visual mass of the building and creates a graceful step down toward the open landscape. The open floor plan, combined with three-sided floor-to-ceiling glazing on the garden side, fosters a naturally flowing interior. Seamlessly integrated, barrier-free sliding doors dissolve the boundary between inside and outside, their transparency making the structure appear to hover above the garden. An open fireplace anchors the living and dining area, becoming the heart of family life. Come summer, this extends onto the terrace, finished with large-format natural stone tiles that echo the interior surfaces. A striking open staircase running along the wall—with floating steps—emphasizes the spatial depth of the design. Its broad landing, suspended above the floor, mirrors the exterior entrance platform and invites movement up to the sleeping and living quarters. The master bedroom and children's rooms both face the garden, each with private bathrooms; the master suite includes direct access to a generous walk-in closet. Given the high water table, the architects opted against a basement, instead housing all utility areas within an attached garage—a decision that both reduced costs and made the outdoor pool possible. Underfloor heating, supplemented by rooftop solar and photovoltaic systems, efficiently serves the home's climate control needs.

www.mantzios-architektur.de

(Published in CUBE Cologne Bonn 04|20)