"Despite the expansive windows, the house maintains a wonderful indoor climate and achieves top-tier energy efficiency. If we were building today, we'd make every decision exactly the same," say the owners—a testament that few architects could ask for. Remarkably, this praise comes despite significant initial challenges. The zoning regulations conflicted with the owners' vision, and the sloping topography presented its own obstacles. The clients had a clear ideal: a linear, minimalist home with a flat roof, extensive glazing, abundant natural light, and an open-plan living area free from unnecessary partitions. The design needed to feel spacious and refined, present a closed façade to neighboring properties, yet maximize green views along both long elevations.

The architects and owners discovered a striking hillside property with an edge-of-nature setting that promised an exceptional living experience. Yet the plot's orientation forced the hillside rooms and garden to face north, and the area's strict building code mandated a hipped roof on every property—no exceptions. To honor their clients' vision despite these constraints, the Aschaffenburg team made several strategic design moves.

Since the owners only needed living space on the hillside and ground floors, the required hipped roof was kept as shallow as possible, serving solely as storage. A bold frame was introduced around the expansive glazing on both the single-story street façade and the two-story garden side. The roof recedes sharply behind this frame, becoming virtually invisible from most angles—creating the visual effect of a clean horizontal line.

Daylighting was central to the design strategy from day one, essential given the north-facing rooms. Light flows horizontally across the living area from multiple directions and vertically through the central stairwell, connecting the ground floor and basement. To maximize these layered light sources, the architects positioned the living spaces on the upper floor. The clients' private retreat—bedrooms and supporting spaces—occupies the hillside level overlooking the garden. A dramatic exposed concrete wall rises through the central stairwell to the roof structure, while large-format tiles and floor-to-ceiling glazing with slender frames establish an open, refined, almost industrial character on the ground floor. In contrast, the cantilevered staircase with wooden treads and timber flooring on the hillside level create warmth and intimacy.

www.resonatorcoop.de

Photography Credits:

Nanna Hirsch

(Featured in CUBE Frankfurt 04|23)