Two become one

A two-family house not only looks like a single-family house on 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 client couple's wish. They also wanted the rooms to be as open and spacious as possible and reduced to the essentials. For the plot in a small development area of Rheydt with trees to be integrated, schmitz architektur:projektentwicklung from Korschenbroich designed and realized a building that could be mistaken for a classic detached house, and not just from the outside.

The slight slope on a turning circle and the resulting pie-shape of the plot made it necessary to slope the almost cubic, two-storey building without a basement, particularly on the north side. From this side, the entrance, which protrudes slightly from the alignment, provides staircase access to the approximately 70 m² granny apartment, which occupies around two thirds of the first floor and has a north-west-facing balcony. The first floor is otherwise entirely 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. 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 landing that leads to the upper floor to the bedrooms with dressing room and bathroom. The staircase was designed as a folding structure made of dark raw steel with narrow balustrades. In front of the solid exposed concrete walls, it therefore looks like a light sculpture floating in space. To complete the elegant staging, a high air space with a central skylight opens up above it. Otherwise, the interior fittings have been reduced to a few materials: White built-in furniture is harmoniously complemented by oak parquet flooring, and an exposed screed was laid in the bathrooms alone. In the outdoor areas, the slight slope of the property was also used to differentiate the terraces and steps. Finally, an air heat pump in combination with underfloor heating provides efficient heating for the house.

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