The detached house has long reigned as the gold standard for individual living. Yet conventional apartment buildings—designed by investors with profit margins in mind—seem only to reinforce this perception. Architect Andrea Wirges-Klein offers a different vision. She has brought together the aspirations of two client families under a single roof, creating four distinct residential units through collaborative design. The result harmoniously blends owner-occupied and rental apartments.

Two staggered pent roofs crown the stacked building form. A solar thermal system on the south-facing roof supplies hot water, while controlled ventilation with heat recovery maintains a comfortable climate throughout the vertically perforated brick structure. Against the white plaster façade, anthracite-coloured elements—windows, cladding, downpipes, and roof surfaces—create striking visual contrast. Stepped projections and recesses offer terraces and balconies genuine privacy, while outdoor spaces at every level extend the living environment. A verdant garden, fed by a fountain, encircles the building, its lush planting doubling as screening—particularly at ground level, where the west-facing terrace overlooks the car park. Concrete panels intersperse with vegetation here, while evening lighting casts the house and trees in an atmospheric glow. The entrance receives special consideration: dark-lacquered steel combined with reclaimed wood infill panels function as both privacy screens and railings, echoing the grey tones of the polished concrete stairs and exposed screed flooring.

The ground-floor owner-occupied unit exemplifies the design approach. Black steel fins, Corten steel accents, and moor oak surfaces establish the material language, extended in the kitchen through HPL laminate cabinetry. Polished concrete flooring ties the spaces together. A sculptural built-in unit anchors the entrance, organizing the open plan with integrated storage and seating while delineating private zones from living areas. Pools of light create intimate zones and encourage lingering, while the moisture-regulating clay plaster fosters a naturally comfortable atmosphere. This is living in a thoughtfully designed apartment building. The other units? Their designs remain distinct. What's undeniable: individuality thrives in multi-unit housing when vision and care guide the process.

www.wirges-klein.de

Photography Credits:

Marcel Kohnen
www.marcelkohnen.de

(Published in CUBE Cologne Bonn 04|23)