Wümmehof Houses / Felix Brinkhege

Wümmehof Houses / Felix Brinkhege - Exterior Photography, GardenWümmehof Houses / Felix Brinkhege - Interior Photography, Table, Sofa, Wood, Windows, Chair, BeamWümmehof Houses / Felix Brinkhege - Interior Photography, Kitchen, ShelvingWümmehof Houses / Felix Brinkhege - Exterior Photography, Windows, FacadeWümmehof Houses / Felix Brinkhege - More Images+ 42

Bremen, Germany
More SpecsLess Specs
Wümmehof Houses / Felix Brinkhege - Exterior Photography, Windows, Facade, Forest
© Caspar Sessler

Text description provided by the architects. The historic country house and gardens Wümmehof in Bremen used to for 50 years be the home to the grandson of the last German emperor and head of the house of Prussian kings after the family stepped down from the throne. Due to the latter as well as the fact that the main house was originally designed by the early Fritz Schumacher and landscaped by Friedrich Gildemeister (both prominent architectural figures of 1930’s Germany) the building and parts of its grounds were Grade A listed by the city. Additionally, its location in a flooding zone adjacent to the tidal river Wümme – which seasonally expands its size a hundredfold – made it particularly difficult to plan and execute the brief to transform the place into a communal living project of seven about equally large units.

Wümmehof Houses / Felix Brinkhege - Exterior Photography, Windows, Door, Facade
© Felix Brinkhege

In order to avoid the character of a regular settlement in favor of a farm typology each one of the houses was designed after a structure formerly existing on the property: horse stables, hay stables, a gatehouse, and a garage for farm vehicles. Each one of the new houses is placed on small dwelling mounts, which are connected to a dyke. All of the units needed to be constructed with prefabricated concrete walls and ceilings in order to accommodate the partly long free-spanning open parts of the buildings. As these were cast against aluminum beds, they could be left in their exposed state.

Wümmehof Houses / Felix Brinkhege - Exterior Photography
© Caspar Sessler
Wümmehof Houses / Felix Brinkhege - Image 30 of 47
Plan
Wümmehof Houses / Felix Brinkhege - Interior Photography, Table, Sofa, Wood, Windows, Chair, Beam
© Caspar Sessler
Wümmehof Houses / Felix Brinkhege - Interior Photography, Windows
© Felix Brinkhege

In the tradition of local peat cutters – and similar to a Shou Sugi Ban technique – who burned the planks and pillars of their jetties and boats to water and insect-resistant proof them, the wooden facades of the stable houses were carbonized. The shed house, accordingly, was built in peat-fired handmade clinker bricks at different temperatures produced in a brickyard nearby. Standing seam untreated aluminum sheets and historic double trough interlocking tiles are roofing the buildings in order to blend in with the surrounding farm buildings.

Wümmehof Houses / Felix Brinkhege - Exterior Photography, Facade
© Caspar Sessler
Wümmehof Houses / Felix Brinkhege - Interior Photography, Closet, Shelving, Beam
© Caspar Sessler

Interior surfaces are largely left raw and unfinished. Additional materials are reduced to oak wood floors, aluminum, and polished concrete screed. The backsides of the aluminum cast walls as well as the niches and window openings are lined in oak wood panels.

Wümmehof Houses / Felix Brinkhege - Exterior Photography, Windows, Door, Facade, Garden
© Ranil Beyer, Caspar Sessler, Felix Brinkhege
Wümmehof Houses / Felix Brinkhege - Image 42 of 47
Elevation - Long

The local tradition of a “flower window” – a cantilevering fixed glazed element providing a fresh bunch of flowers to indicate to burglars that the building is inhabited – is taken to extremes with 4 meters tall window panels.

Wümmehof Houses / Felix Brinkhege - Exterior Photography, Facade, Windows
© Ranil Beyer, Caspar Sessler, Felix Brinkhege

The old buildings have largely been restored according to their original state but split and converted into units, too. 

Wümmehof Houses / Felix Brinkhege - Exterior Photography, Windows
© Caspar Sessler
Wümmehof Houses / Felix Brinkhege - Image 47 of 47
Elevation - Short

The 10-hectare historical gardens have been left untouched or restored as much as it has been possible due to the building works. The people who now inhabit the units are sharing the gardens and its river access through a small jetty and a boathouse.

Wümmehof Houses / Felix Brinkhege - Exterior Photography, Windows, Garden
© Caspar Sessler

Project gallery

See allShow less
About this office
Cite: "Wümmehof Houses / Felix Brinkhege" 06 Feb 2023. ArchDaily. Accessed . <https://www.archdaily.com/995947/wummehof-house-felix-brinkhege> ISSN 0719-8884

You've started following your first account!

Did you know?

You'll now receive updates based on what you follow! Personalize your stream and start following your favorite authors, offices and users.