Two Into One

A two-family house not only looks like a single-family house from the outside.

A compact two-family house with two residential units that can be connected at any time without major construction work – that was the wish of the couple who commissioned the project. In addition, the rooms were to appear as open and spacious as possible and be reduced to the essentials. For the plot in a small new development area in Rheydt with existing trees to be integrated, the schmitz architektur:projektentwicklung office in Korschenbroich designed and realised a building that could be mistaken for a classic single-family home, not only from the outside.

The slight slope at a turning circle and the resulting pie-shaped cut of the plot made it necessary to slope the almost cubic, two-storey, basement-free structure, especially on the north side. From this side, the entrance, which protrudes slightly from the line of the building, leads to the staircase and the approximately 70 m² granny flat, which occupies about two-thirds of the upper floor and has a balcony facing north-west. The ground floor is otherwise completely reserved for the living area of the 120 m² main apartment: an access corridor opens up a view of the garden directly from the entrance hall. The open kitchen and dining area face the garden and are generously lit by a wide, corner glass front with sliding elements. The actual living area is located further inside the building, backed by a filigree staircase with a landing that leads to the upper floor with the bedrooms, dressing room and bathroom. The staircase was constructed in a folded structure of dark raw steel with narrow balustrades. Against the solid exposed concrete walls, it appears like a light sculpture floating in the room. To complete the elegant setting, a high air space with a central skylight opens up above it. Otherwise, the interior design has been reduced to a few materials: white built-in furniture is harmoniously complemented by oak parquet flooring, with exposed screed laid only in the bathrooms. In the outdoor areas, the slight slope of the property was also used to create differentiation through terraces and stairs. Finally, an air heat pump in combination with underfloor heating ensures efficient heating of the house.

www.schmitz-architekt.net