On an extremely steep south-facing slope with a 15-metre elevation change, architect Bettina Müller-Fauth designed an unconventional residence. From this vantage point, the gaze sweeps across the Rechberg and Hohenstaufen mountains – their imposing silhouettes frame a deceptively simple house wrapped in black timber cladding.

This narrow yet elongated residential home—just six meters wide but seventeen meters long, crowned with a gabled roof—is ingeniously nestled into the hillside, spanning the property's full width. This bold approach opens up the south-facing side to a generous garden that extends the home's 165 square meters of living space into the landscape. The garage and underground access are equally integrated into the slope. A naturally lit corridor, illuminated from above by skylights, guides you through the home. Their frames, fitted with impact-resistant glazing, sit flush with the garden lawn, allowing you to experience the entrance from above as well. From the basement entry, a striking exposed concrete staircase rises into the open-plan ground floor, which flows uninterrupted across the home's entire width. Floor-to-ceiling glazing dissolves the boundary between interior and landscape. A generous bay window on the east side frames views into the adjacent nature reserve, creating a peaceful refuge. The bedrooms, too, are oriented southward, bathing in natural light.

Upstairs, each room opens onto a covered loggia—an architectural solution that provides natural shade to both levels below. By integrating solar protection into the building's design, the architect eliminated the need for external shading systems. A generous terrace with an integrated staircase and planted beds dissolves the boundary between living space and garden, creating a seamless indoor-outdoor experience.

The design draws its power from contrasts. Externally, a black timber façade defines the building, while raw concrete finishes the garage and entry. These dark tones allow the structure to recede into its landscape, integrating the ensemble naturally into the surroundings. Inside, the palette shifts dramatically: white, beige, and light wood create luminous rooms, punctuated by black accents—a disciplined approach that anchors the architecture throughout.

www.bf-architektur.de

Photography:
Jessica Bulling
www.jessicabulling.com

(Published in CUBE Stuttgart 02|25)