A Transformed Atmosphere
A 1930s semi-detached home reimagined as a light-filled family sanctuary
This 1930s housing settlement features a series of semi-detached houses of uniform design: compact and unassuming when viewed from the street, their true character emerges on the garden side. A bay window, generous glazing, and a second storey frame direct views of the idyllic landscape beyond, while the living and sleeping areas enjoy this verdant outlook. Practical zones—the kitchen, bathroom, and circulation—are tucked away on the north elevation. One half of a pair, weathered by time and altered through successive renovations, awaited complete reimagining to accommodate a family of five.
To realize the family's spatial and lifestyle needs, lohrmannarchitekten extended the first-floor bay window with a timber-frame addition, opened the attic as habitable space with a new staircase, and removed the fragmented ground-floor walls that had carved the living area into isolated rooms. A steel structure orchestrates an open, flowing composition and introduces soaring volume beneath the roof plane. A expansive glass wall floods the heart of family life with daylight, while an elevated terrace outside extends this gathering space seamlessly into the garden. The substantial kitchen-living area—anchored by white-oiled oak surfaces and a central island—strikes a warm counterpoint to the pale, tactile lime-plaster walls and the polished biopolymer floor embedded with stone aggregate that flows throughout the level. The dining zone, positioned as the spatial hub, comfortably seats the entire family. A newly installed fireplace and the adjacent square bay window add depth and warmth, particularly welcomed during colder seasons. Slender oak-and-aluminium frames operate as windows to the landscape, while blackened steel railings and brushed stainless-steel hardware and fixtures punctuate the lighter palette.
Exposed timber beams and the refurbished wooden staircase serve as tactile reminders of the house's history. The upper floor accommodates three children's bedrooms, a spacious bathroom, and access to the newly finished attic. A folding staircase of oak boards ascends to the attic bedroom with its open ensuite bath. A generous south-facing dormer floods the space with light and establishes a generous ceiling height.
Photography:
Andreas Dalferth
www.dalferth-photos.de
(Published in CUBE Stuttgart 02|25)
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