We've all seen them—the standardized housing developments that emerged on the outskirts of towns and villages throughout the 1950s to 1970s. Today, many show their age and fall short of modern living standards, whether they're in need of repair or not. A prime example is the transformation of a two-story residential home in Kissing, originally built in 1968. Redesigned by Lotaa Architektur from Augsburg and reconstructed to meet current standards, it has become the "A4 Multi-Generational House"—a before-and-after story that can be summed up in two words: unrecognizable. To maximize living space, an extension was added to the rear of the house, carefully concealed from the street to preserve the uniform appearance of the neighborhood.

The roof was also raised to accommodate a maisonette-style penthouse. The real challenge lay in converting the cramped central-corridor layout and compartmentalized floor plan into flowing, open-concept spaces. The ground floor now features a universally accessible, bright and airy apartment, while the upper floor has been transformed into a gallery-style unit that can be combined with the top-floor apartment as needed. The original structural frame was preserved; the interior was stripped and rebuilt as a hybrid timber structure. Formerly small windows have been expanded to floor-to-ceiling height. The traditional roof covering was replaced with lightweight aluminum standing seam sheets, achieving an 80 percent reduction in material consumption through the use of recycled content. Clad in hematite-black stained larch wood, the renovated home stands distinctly apart from its traditional neighbors. Throughout, contemporary upgrades and climate-conscious systems were integrated sustainably: heating comes from a combination of photovoltaic panels and an air-source heat pump.

An energy management system with MSR and KNX smart home controls monitors, manages, and optimizes energy consumption across all areas. With its KfW Efficiency House 55E rating, the renovated structure achieves CO₂ and energy savings that surpass those of a newly constructed building. Thoughtful renovation of existing structures represents an increasingly vital building task—and one of significant importance across the country.

www.lotaa.de

Photography:
Lotaa Architektur GmbH

(Published in CUBE Munich 04|25)