R Villa

Location: Karlsruhe, Germany

Architect: Roger Christ

Client: Private

Material: Concrete

Completion date: 2010

Built area: 455m²

Studio: Christ.Christ. associated architects

Project Team: Roger Christ, Ronni Neuber, Julia Christ

Awards: Heinze Architekten Award 2014 - Shortlist | The International Architecture Award 2013

Photographer: Thomas Herrmann

Story:

Text provided by the architects:

The house R lies embedded in the green of the surrounding parkland and enclosed by walls in the centre of Karlsruhe.

To be able to utilise the property to its full extent, the ground floor is suspended 1 metre above the natural growth of the site, whereby a circumferential 50cm-high window band is created. Natural light is guided through this window band and through the atrium into the basement floor, which thus creates optimally utilisable rooms below the earth.

The ground floor can be accessed via a slightly inclined ramp. From the entrance area it is possible to access the large living area, which extends over two floors and features a kitchen and dining space. This is the centre of the house, where daily life takes place. The building is transparent in the east-west direction, opening up onto a view of the park.

The floors below each other are connected via an open staircase and an elevator system glazed on the outside. On the upper floor there is a gallery as a quiet area of withdrawal for the family and the children’s rooms. The open design of the attic storey with a jutting roof terrace is reserved for the parents, forming an intimate sheltered area within the house.

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