Across Germany, many homeowners dream of a "Bauhaus-style" house – though the term itself invites debate. Typically, it evokes images of open, light-filled spaces with flowing, interconnected rooms. A young family with two children approached the Cologne-based firm Bruhn Knechtges Müller Architekten with the same vision for their plot in Wesseling. Yet the narrow, north-facing site quickly made clear that the classical Bauhaus ideal couldn't be implemented as-is. Instead, the architects created something more nuanced: a home that embraces the gabled roof typology of neighboring buildings while delivering the spacious, contemporary interior they sought – flooded with natural light.

The tight footprint necessitated a gently sloping gable roof aligned with the adjacent structure, whose contour line became the design's anchor. At ground level, the home opens dramatically: a flowing kitchen-dining-living zone stretches from street to garden. But achieving the required bedrooms, bathrooms, and dressing rooms upstairs required an ingenious dual-construction approach. A load-bearing concrete frame with minimal walls supports the upper floor, which was then built entirely in lighter, dismantleable timber construction – a striking reversal of typical building logic. The result is architecturally daring: a staggered floor plate combines with a soaring vertical void and gallery to create an interior that breathes all the way to the roof. To counter the north-facing orientation, the architects crafted generous windows where they matter most – particularly a broad gable window that captures morning sunlight over the dining table. Outside, the composition coheres beautifully: twin gables thrust forward from the roofline, the entry overhang projects boldly, and subtly modulated façade colors give the whole ensemble a sculptural presence.

www.bkm-architekten.de

Photography:

Viola Epler
www.violaepler.de

(Published in CUBE Cologne Bonn 02|23)