Urban Oasis

The occupants of this German villa wanted to breathe new life in their house, built in the late seventies. Although it had been redone a few years ago by another owner, some features were still very much in the spirit of the seventies. Starting from a limited assignment, Arche Architekten’s Brigitte Walther ended up redoing the entire home, from the cellar to the roof.

Sense of home

“The architecture of the villa was already very good”, says Walther. “The current owners moved in, placed some of their own furniture and left the rest as it was. After redoing their vacation getaway in Tyrol, we got the job to personalise the villa for them to truly feel at home. We found an abundance of space, but some of the rooms had no real sense or idea of home. As soon as the work commenced, it became clear they wanted more than a quick renovation. Together, we decided that connecting spaces – creating context from one floor to the next – should be my actual brief.”

“A classic design needs only a few materials and a limited number of colours from one family.”

Updated floor plan

Together with the owners, Walther updated the floor plan. “We added functions to rooms that didn’t have one: a play room, a wine cellar and a library. In order to connect them stylistically we reduced the palette of materials in each room to oak wood, natural steel, Terrastone, and different warm grey colours. Finally, even the indoor pool area got a similar makeover. We installed Hakwood on the floor and one wall to give it a warmer feel. Recesses in the wood-clad wall are home to a part of the family’s art collection.”

“We changed the rooms from simply spaces into areas where you are happy to spend your time.”

Connecting rooms

The centrepiece of the of the house is its new staircase in the hall, says Walther: “That’s a technical marvel, based on a Hakwood-clad steel construction, supported by a hidden concrete structure and glass. It’s the most literal and striking reference to the ‘connection’ theme: an invitation to the owners to explore their home every day anew.”