Refrath is a district of Bergisch Gladbach on Cologne's western border. House Sixteen sits in the heart of the district's newly developed residential area—an ideal setting to realize the dream of a single-family home with separate rental unit. Yet with such architectural variety surrounding it, the architects quickly sensed the need for something distinctly different.

To counter this architectural heterogeneity, Römer Kögeler und Partner Architects returned to the fundamental concept of a house: four walls and a roof. The design philosophy centers on essential geometry—no projecting elements, bay windows, or dormers—paired with a restrained, harmonious facade that respects the urban scale of its surroundings. This disciplined approach became the guiding principle of the entire project.

The house achieves its striking, almost primordial quality through carefully selected brick. Wienerberger's Terca water-struck brick Niara presents sophisticated light grey tones accented with subtle dark brown shadings. The thin-format design is executed as "foot masonry"—a technique where the brick's underside becomes the visible face, creating relief-like folding that gives each unit its own distinctive, textured surface. This tactile quality infuses the otherwise restrained facade with surprising depth and character. All window openings follow a consistent proportional system and extend nearly floor-to-ceiling, their frameless glass balustrades providing almost imperceptible fall protection. A recessed loggia at the top floor echoes the building's clean geometric lines. The concept never wavers: clarity and simplicity.

Each dwelling enjoys its own private garden area, and this commitment to reduction extends seamlessly into the landscape design. Recessed floor bricks combined with basalt strips and large-format basalt paving mark the transition from house to garden, where carefully selected grasses and ground covers create a refined composition. Espalier trees define the boundaries between properties.

www.roemerpartner.com
www.wienerberger.de

(Published in CUBE Cologne Bonn 02|20)