Raspberry House

KRESINGS

Project description

The vision by converting the terraced house from the 1950s was to adapt the existing structure of the floor plans to the needs of society today and to set a flexible course for the future. Another major objective was to make a real contribution towards reducing the energy consumption of the building, and this was achieved with load-bearing structures made of a renewable material, namely wood, and exclusively mineral-based insulating materials, whereby the saving amounted to 30 % based on the existing energy building code. The complete renovation of the façade but also the reactivated garden and roof level make use of large-format windows made of wood, which define natural light and far-reaching views as a major component of the building. The raspberry red of the new façade stands out, hence the former workers’ district is thus gaining a new building that enlivens it from within. Both color and metallic material represent another way of lending a certain abstraction to the renovation. Right now, the 15 apartments are occupied by 17 people who come from eight different countries and represent all age groups. Communal areas like the garden are available to all residents throughout the day. In contrast to standard renovation practices that have been consciously reinterpreted here, the design of the outer shell makes use of a load-bearing structure made of renewable material and a metallic skin. The overall desired effect is an abstraction, which is brought strongly to bear by means of the surface feel and color yet with respect for all the existing proportions within the context. The previous floor plan has been entirely redesigned. Alongside the drop of 60 cm in the basement and the extension to the gabled roof, residential space has also been extended by repurposing of the balconies. The new, wood-supported external wall was positioned in front of the outer edge of the existing balconies. This way, the depth of the space has been increased so that it was possible to incorporate smaller units on the west and east sides. Much effort was also made to avoid corridor space as much as possible. The design aims to achieve consistency in the edges of the buildings and the lines of the district’s urban development; hence the renovation takes account of all the heights and reference points of the setting. This includes the striking eaves of the neighboring building in particular, the detail of which has been neatly adapted in its reconstruction in a new material. As early as the planning stages, there was an emphasis on digital implementation. The concept was planned with the help of 3D models, which simplified interaction with tradespersons, most particularly in relation to the carpentry and the implementation of the new façade.