House in Stadtbergen

Here a 9 x 9 x 6 m house with symmetrical pavilion roof nevertheless resulted in innovative architecture. It looks like a live-in sculpture, with its unconventional curtain wall and roof made of ‘gabions’, or rubblestone-filled baskets. (The design was inspired by Herzog & de Meuron’s Napa Valley winery.) Weighing around 80 kg each, the baskets can be removed individually. This enormous mass (40tonnes) has a buffer effect in winter and summer. No external guttering was allowed to detract from the sculptural effect – rainwater flows instead down a waterproof membrane behind the layer of stones. Inside, the house is unexpectedly spacious, the visual links between all levels creating a flow of space.