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Article from issue 4/2007 »Cost-Effective Buildings«

Single-Family House in Darmstadt

documentation p. 332 - 335
Architect Wendt, Joachim | Structural Engineer S+P GmbH |

Drafts
1:20 Horizontal section
1:20 Vertical section
1:200 Floor plans
1:200 Section

Agreeably contrasted with its surroundings through the choice of materials and its simple detailing, the house occupies a central urban location. An optimum exploitation of the site (only 245 m2 in area) was necessary. The three-storey building has a footprint of 57 m2 and an economical ratio of surface area to volume – a precondition for energy-efficient operations. A south-facing roof terrace lends the tightly organized indoor spaces an extra dimension. Spatial tension was achieved by shifting the orientation of the windows by 90° from one floor to the next. The house has a timber-frame structure with prefabricated wall and floor elements, which helped to reduce the construction time as well as costs.