House Dornbirn

k_m architektur

ARCHITECTS
k_m architektur

LOCATION
Dornbirn, Austria

YEAR
2013

CATEGORY
Houses

The location alone of this single family home, with a clear view of lake Constance, overlooking the Rhinevalley and the mountains of Vorarlberg as well as Switzerland is quiet spectacular.

The property is located on the slope of a green meadow. A floating design and the use of natural materials using concrete, copper, glass and wood as structural material characterize the single family home.

Besides the structural members that establish contact with the ground, the rest of the house is constructed out of wood.

The different of the residential home are clearly divided by floors. The ground floor, made of concrete, contains a garage and the entrance.

Overhanging parts of the upper volume shelter the entrance area. The upper floor, clad with pine, houses the bedrooms and a studio.

The top floor, clad with copper, contains a generous dining and living space with a stove acting as a room divider and great rooftop terraces.

Positioned in front of the dining and living area, the roofed terrace encircles the upper floor and links the interior and the exterior space through room-high glazing.

The overhanging parts of the upper roof shelter the balcony and give a shade to the broad expanses of glazing, protecting the house from excessive solar grain in the summertime.

In the winter, the sunshine becomes a passive source of energy. The back of the house appears to be more closed. The entire façade of the building is clad with natural white pine wood taken from the local region and copper.

Thanks to this wooden façade, which has already weathered to a light gray colour, the building fits in harmoniously with the surrounding area. The house was designed according to strict considerations of sustainability, involving the ecological quality of the materials and choices such as a solar hot-water-system, geo–thermal heating and a stove in the living area.