A house in the countryside near Euskirchen serves as a retreat for a family from Cologne. Designed by Gernot Schulz Architektur of Cologne, the two-storey building is idyllically nestled within the Voreifel landscape of villages, orchard meadows and other agricultural land. Its hillside location offers impressive panoramic views stretching as far as Cologne. The house’s sustainable construction is evident in its timber frame and a weather-resistant façade of cedar wood, carbonised using the Japanese yakisugi method, with dark steel accents. This palette of materials continues into the interiors, the design and execution of which were entrusted to the Sommer joinery in Breitscheid. Solid silver fir timber was used predominantly, lending the precisely designed rooms a soothingly minimalist, almost meditative atmosphere that frames and emphasises the many views of the natural surroundings.

A wide open staircase on the hillside leads directly to the main living floor, which is dominated by the spacious, floor-to-ceiling glazed living area. The open-plan space, which opens out to the south into a long, open loggia with panoramic views, is divided into zones along its two narrow sides: on one side is the cooking and dining area with a kitchen island that also serves as a bench. On the opposite side, a seating area unfolds with a view of the vertical wood-burning stove and the freestanding multimedia wall unit, which juts out from the façade like a bay window. Adjacent to the cooking area are the bedrooms and the master bathroom. The basement houses the children’s bedrooms, a guest room with a terrace, a further bathroom and the utility room. The levels are connected by a single-flight wooden staircase, which also offers plenty of storage space. It is a particular eye-catcher, mainly due to its extremely precise joinery and the light it receives through a skylight. An adjoining outbuilding houses a barn-style kitchen for social gatherings and a small sauna with views of the natural surroundings.

Inside, both buildings feature striking light-coloured solid wood surfaces, predominantly made from local silver fir; elements of ash are used in the kitchen and seating areas. Wall and soffit cladding, door leaves, as well as all the mostly floor-to-ceiling, made-to-measure built-in cupboards and other freestanding furniture were crafted from this material, which can be cultivated in a significantly more sustainable manner than spruce wood. The wood’s particularly tactile texture is created by the brushing process, which removes the soft fibres. The uniform light colour is then achieved through a natural treatment with soap and lye. Added to this is the very precisely executed joint pattern: to prevent shrinkage cracks, the expansion joints in the wooden surfaces were calculated to the nearest millimetre in proportion to the area. As shadow joints, they simultaneously give the surfaces visual structure and lend both the room and the furniture a clear structure and proportion. The dark flooring, which was finished predominantly in dark grey terrazzo in a style that is as elegant as it is natural, provides a harmonious contrast that emphasises the light wooden surfaces.

www.gernotschulzarchitektur.de
www.tischlerei-sommer.de

Living area: 160 m²
Plot size: 4,995 m²
Construction period: 24 months
Construction method: Timber-frame construction
Energy concept: Heat pump

Photos:
Barbara Sommer

(Published in CUBE Cologne Bonn 01|26)