A three-generation family commissioned architect Alexandra Bub to design a home where everyone would want to gather—a place that radiates calm, sparks creativity, and adapts flexibly to evolving needs. Their hillside property, graced with unobstructed views of the Elbe and the beach at its doorstep, provided the perfect canvas.

Bub Architekten BDA conceived the new residence as a contemporary response to the neighbourhood's characteristic gabled houses. Its proportions, materials, and formal language integrate thoughtfully with the surrounding heritage structures while maintaining a distinct architectural voice. A slightly projecting base layer, rendered in pilaster masonry, distinguishes itself from the storeys above. The brick palette—a dynamic interplay of dark browns and burnt orange—echoes the neighbouring buildings. The perforated façade design elegantly reconciles two demands: the city's urban planning requirements limiting aperture size and prescribing vertical window proportions, alongside the owners' wish for expansive views.

Inside, refined natural materials in soft, warm tones establish a serene and restorative mood, drawing from the beach's colour palette and evoking that holiday sense of ease. The Elbe view transforms constantly—dazzling in sunlight, ethereal in fog, dramatic in storms, magical in twilight—punctuated by container vessels towering as high as the building itself. The programme included several distinctive requests: a studio for creative pursuits and a generous workshop with a car lift, as the entire family embraces artistic and craft endeavours in their leisure time. To maximise the spectacular Elbe vista, the main living spaces occupy the upper floor, extended by a delicate steel-frame balcony. The ground floor houses the studio, office, children's and guest quarters. The upper floor retreats—bedrooms, grandchildren's room, dressing area, and spa-like bathroom—nestle in the attic. The workshop sits in the basement with direct access to the sunny, sheltered courtyard, allowing the family to work and create outdoors when weather permits. A cherished outcome for a family wanting a vibrant, lived-in home: their friends now enthusiastically embrace this outdoor workshop space. The courtyard and basement integrate naturally into the sloped landscape and surrounding grounds.

The floor plans anticipate tomorrow: the building can easily accommodate division into up to three independent units, with rooms combinable as needed. Future space reconfigurations were structurally considered, with provisions pre-installed. An elevator connects all floors, ensuring the home remains fully accessible as the family ages. Sensitive to its remarkable setting, the architecture is robust, timeless, and adaptable.

www.bub-architekten.de

Photography:
Alexandra Bub

(Published in CUBE Hamburg 01|25)