Semi-Detached Houses in ­Friedrichshafen

Set on a sloping site on the edge of an estate planned for the Dornier works in the 1930s, these two semi-detached houses enjoy an ­extensive view of Lake Constance and the Alps. The archetypal form of the structure is accentuated by windows set flush with the facade and by the absence of any roof projection. Externally homogeneous, the two houses have individual internal layouts that reflect the different lifestyles of the clients. On the lowest floor of the northwestern house is a small self-contained flat. The corresponding position in the southeastern house is taken up by the kitchen-living room, which is linked to the garden and forms the focus of family life. The living space, with its large areas of glazing, extends out into a planted courtyard that forms an intimate realm in an otherwise densely developed location. A vertical spatial link between floors reflects the idea of a house open for communication. The entrance to both houses is on the ground floor, where the bedrooms are also located. In the eastern half, the main family space is an open living-dining room on the upper floor. On the same level in the western half are the living room and bedrooms. A terrace cut into the roof allows light to pass through the void beyond to the north-facing rooms below. Both houses were built as low-energy types, with two deep borings supplying the necessary energy for the geothermal heat pump.