Around five years after the family moved in and seven years after the start of construction, the house is still constantly changing. New terraces are being built under the large roof, new walls are being added inside with new children – and of course the garden is growing. The only thing that doesn’t seem to be changing (for now) is the large roof.
Beneath the expansive roof, the living space cascades into depth. Some rooms are pushed entirely towards the exterior, their facade nearly merging with the outer supports of the roof. Other rooms are drawn further inward, creating space for sheltered outdoor areas beneath the roof.
Although the house is primarily constructed from standardized components and building techniques, it is artistically shaped. We were interested in exploring which variables we could adjust within a standardized manufacturing process – just for the sake of beauty. Now, the house has large fixed glazings with slim black frames seamlessly blending with the glass, as well as natural untreated opening sashes. We artificially widened the frames of these sashes until they aligned with the dimensions of the roof beams.
The roof is a straightforward modular construction from the agricultural sector, while the insulated living area is built using a simple timber frame design. All windows are crafted from the standardized IV-78 wooden window profile. The building family undertook numerous tasks themselves, from painting the roof soffits with Swedish mud paint to installing clay walls.
In this building project in a small village near Dresden, we asked ourselves: Can a home lean more towards the spirit of a “caravan” than a “villa”? Could it feel transient yet deeply anchored in the sprawling garden? Is it possible for a large roof to encompass all the elements necessary for a serene living space? And could the world beneath this roof be as rich and diverse as life itself – while remaining affordable for a young family?