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Architects: Benjamin Heller
- Area: 325 m²
- Year: 2017
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Photographs:Benjamin Heller
Text description provided by the architects. Since 2017, the “Black House” stands in the idyllic health resort Öhningen nearby Lake Constance, Germany. In a conspicuous way, it marks the edge of the small village, which is also part of the national boarder to neighboring Switzerland. The character of the building emulates a boundary stone cut by hands: various angles, clear, polygonal shapes and a dark, suspended façade, which surrounds both like a skin, the building and the roof. Thereby, a remarkable light and color change is generated on the surface of the house.
Upon request of the owner, the residential building combines different areas on two levels: public, semi-public and private spaces. Divergent room heights and sizes transmit intuitively the character of utilization of both, the shared areas and the places of retreat.
The "Black House“ is explicitly oriented towards the landscape and the water. The spacious areas and rooms inside the building are extended in southern direction. The clear and restrained interior design directs one´s eye instinctively to the outstanding panoramic view with the beautiful landscape. The light, polished screed and the parquet flooring of dark oak result in a harmonic but also contrasting interaction.
The love for nature is also reflected in selecting the technical equipment and building materials for the solid wood house. As an example, a heat pump in conjunction with a ground collector heats the building in a sustainable way.
