In Pankow, in the north of Berlin, a young family with two children had a home built that leaves nothing to be desired. They commissioned the Berlin architect Valerie Söder with the planning. The result is a classic-looking house with a flat pitched roof that nevertheless asserts its modern character and outshines its neighborhood, a settlement of very different single-family homes. Here too, on the corner plot, there was previously a smaller, old residential building that was demolished. The most striking feature of the new detached house is its large aluminum windows, which are positioned so that they go around the corner at the south-west corner of the building and thus bring a lot of light into the interior. The orientation of the house was cleverly chosen so that the living spaces on the first floor are located right here and the covered entrance area with attached garage is located in the small side street on the east side.

From the entrance, the main axis of the house runs from east to west and allows a direct view into the garden. The kitchen and dining area is located to the right of the axis in a protruding cube with a sitting window. To the left of the axis is the living area with its long window front and sliding glass door to an outdoor terrace overlooking the garden. The total living and usable area is 188 m². There is also a study, a guest WC and a utility room on the first floor as well as a direct connection to the garage. The straight wooden staircase leads upstairs to the sleeping area. Here, too, there is a sitting window facing the street. The two children's bedrooms are on the left and the master bedroom with dressing room and bathroom on the right. Significant parts of the interior fittings were designed by Büro Söder and solid wooden parquet flooring has been laid throughout the house without thresholds.

The building is constructed from aerated concrete blocks. Aerated concrete originally comes from Sweden and is valued for its good insulating properties. In addition, an insulating layer of mineral wool on the outer façade provides protection against the cold, while the exterior of the façade is finished with brilliant white mineral plaster. The building is heated by underfloor heating, which is supplied entirely by a geothermal heat pump. Spontaneous heat requirements can also be met via a gas fireplace in the kitchen area. The house is controlled and monitored via a smart home system. The open-plan design throughout the house with its visual axes and contact with the greenery creates a harmonious unit with plenty of brightness and lightness. This creates a pleasant and peaceful atmosphere for the young family.

www.soederarchitect.com

(Published in Berlin 04|20)