Unexpected Openings
A semi-detached home that captivates with flowing spaces, abundant natural light, and carefully framed visual connections.
The brief was straightforward: two couples, friends and neighbours, envisioned a semi-detached house on Korschenbroich's outskirts – each with their own garden and sweeping views across neighbouring fields and meadows. Yet the families soon revealed differing priorities. The couple with children leaned toward functional, practical design, while their counterparts – childless and with a dog – sought something quite different: open, light-filled spaces and minimalist aesthetics. Navigating these competing visions, schmitz architektur:projektentwicklung crafted a building that bridges both approaches into one coherent design.
The building's volume was predetermined by local zoning regulations, but rather than a traditional pitched roof, the architects opted for a tiered-floor design. To maximize living space within these constraints, they excavated a full basement for building services and secondary rooms. Both units share a unified street façade: a clinker brick base with crisp white plaster above, creating clear visual distinction.The childless couple's half showcases particularly refined detailing. Its standout feature is a generous, light-soaked kitchen-dining-living area—one that breathes through a soaring void and expansive upper-floor panoramic window. A wide gallery on the upper level frames views extending from the living space through the garden toward the open countryside. The garden-facing bedroom's floor-to-ceiling glazing orchestrates dynamic sightlines between levels and landscape. Raw, board-marked concrete surfaces define the upper-floor ceiling and living-area wall, a deliberately contemporary gesture softened by warm oak parquetry. Centered between living and kitchen zones, a fireplace punctuates the space with both warmth and style.Efficiency runs throughout: an air-source heat pump manages heating and cooling via underfloor systems across seasons, all controlled by smart home automation.
Photography:
Julia Vogel
www.juliavogelfotografie.de
(Featured in CUBE Düsseldorf 02|25)
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