What began as a wooden house concept evolved into something far more ambitious: a granite residence. The unconventional building material proved itself brilliantly in this bold experiment. The choice was natural—the homeowner works in the family's granite quarrying and processing business. Set in the Bavarian Forest, this project also drew its architect from the region: Peter Haimerl, celebrated for his daring, unconventional designs. He crafted this extraordinary single-family home for a young couple, grounding it in the historical essence of a Waidlerhaus, the region's iconic vernacular architecture. These structures have endured centuries, shaping the very landscape itself. Built on a hillside at the village's edge near Deggendorf, the new house captures—reinterpreted for today—the essential "elements" that define a traditional Waidlerhaus: the Gred, a granite forecourt; the Grand, a granite water trough; and the Flez, the signature long corridor with rooms branching left and right. The pitched roof, whether sharp or gentle, responds to the terrain's demands. Yet here, the water trough has been reimagined as a 24-tonne granite pool carved from a single block, positioned behind the house. An extremely acute roof pitch shelters the garage—with two bays integrated into the upper floor. Three striking granite cubes anchor the composition: one frames the entrance, another wraps an expansive panoramic window overlooking the pool, while a third—seemingly grown from the roof itself—houses a generous bathroom. Solid granite slabs form the load-bearing exterior walls, pre-fabricated and fully detailed before delivery. Traditional wood shingles clad the remaining exterior surfaces, roof, and garage door. The result: a home closed to the street, yet entirely open toward the garden, its long glazed side dissolving the boundary between inside and out. Here, granite, wood, concrete, steel, and glass compose something remarkable—a refined, purposeful living space inextricably bound to its place.

www.peterhaimerl.com

Fotos:
Edward Beierle
www.beierlegoerlich.com

(Published in CUBE Munich 04|23)