A villa on Frankfurt's Riedberg designed by Yuen Architects demonstrates how architectural guidelines from a master plan can harmonize with individual client aspirations. For this new residence, architect and clients boldly broke from convention to create a generous sanctuary for living: clear, calm, and minimalist. The neighborhood's defining principle—featuring 30 villas total—is "additive construction," a compositional strategy where volumes build thoughtfully. Additional requirements shaped the design: rectangular floor plans, integrated garages, and ancillary spaces like waste storage and bike parking seamlessly woven into the architecture. Ten practices competed in the selection process; Yuen Architects was among those honored.

Beyond regulatory requirements, the design emerged from extensive conversations between architects and clients who held distinct ideals about their future home—they'd already immersed themselves in minimalist and Japanese architecture. "With Mr. Yuen, we found an architect who truly grasped our vision and design language," the clients reflect. They sought a home with crisp, linear, and serene proportions. The villa's composition—three clearly defined volumes—relates to itself in layered ways, creating coherent wholeness. Strategic projections and recesses, overlapping masses and interlocking elements work as deliberate design gestures.

The street-facing front presents a restrained, enclosed character with virtually no conventional windows. The rear tells a different story: expansive glass walls frame sweeping views of Frankfurt's skyline. This prospect became the impetus for placing living spaces on the upper floor—an unconventional choice that paid dividends. The result: a luminous loft-like living landscape housing public zones (living, kitchen, dining) alongside the master suite. The architect positioned the study, children's rooms, and auxiliary spaces on the ground floor. A tree-filled atrium on the upper level anchors the home, with living areas radiating outward. This sheltered outdoor room—enhanced by vertical façade slats—casts dynamic patterns of light and shadow across the interiors.

The staircase follows this logic of intentional contrast. Rather than tucking a steel staircase discreetly along one side, it commands the center—linear, generous, and deliberately prominent. The staircase channels arrivals directly to the upper public spaces while creating visual tension against the villa's white walls, animating the circulation with purpose.

www.yuen-architekten.de

Living space: 325 m²
Plot size: 611 m²
Construction period: 12 months
Construction method: Timber frame construction, solid basement
Energy concept: District heating, residential ventilation, rainwater cistern, extensive green roof

Photography Credits:

Boris Crull
www.photobo.de

(Published in CUBE Frankfurt 04|21)