The first association that comes to mind when you see this house is: a barn! In a residential area? The next assumption is: someone wants to have their peace and quiet and has barricaded themselves behind a shell of slats with which they have wrapped their house. Of course, neither of these assumptions is correct. Rather, we are dealing with courageous builders and two architects who like to experiment, who call themselves rundzwei.

The shape of the detached house on Nikolassee is classic: the original form of a house with a gabled roof, a floor plan measuring 10 x 10 metres, a narrow front garden and a large back garden. What is unusual, however, is the exterior. The house is covered all over with horizontal light-coloured wooden slats made of silver fir with gaps between them. Even the roof surfaces are not left out. It is called a "pergola house" because the wooden façade, which is otherwise closed and has few windows, is open on the eaves sides. The wooden slats protrude from the wall of the house as if on stilts, allowing light to enter the house. To the west, the resulting pergola covers the entrance area and to the east, a large terrace or – depending on the season – a conservatory. The interior of the building is therefore by no means dark; rather, the wooden shell offers protection against too much sun and prevents prying eyes.
You enter the house on the west side, behind the carport and bicycle parking area. The basement is also accessed from the entrance. This brick-built part of the house contains an elongated pool with a wellness area, the building services and storage areas. Light wells in front of and behind the house allow sufficient light to penetrate downwards. On the ground floor, the functional areas for cooking, dining and living are arranged in an L-shape around the corner on the wall side. In the middle is the core with storage space, guest toilet and stairs. Above the dining area is an open space that extends up to the roof.

The two upper floors are arranged like galleries around this atrium. The first floor comprises the master bedroom, two children's rooms and a large bathroom with double fittings, two showers and two WCs. A sliding door allows the bathroom to be divided into two separate areas. The bedrooms each have deep bay windows. Finally, the attic offers space for another gallery that could be used as a study or a retreat by the fireplace.

www.rundzwei.de

Gross floor area: 400 m²
Usable floor space: approx. 350 m²
Gross volume: 1,150 m³
Start of planning: 05/2018
Completion: 11/2020

Photography Credits:

Gui Rebelo/Elephant Studio
www.elephantstudio.co.uk

(Published in CUBE Berlin 03|21)