Villa U / Pool River Architecten
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A description of the text provided by the architect. Villa U is a single-family home located in the Gräfelfing residential area on the outskirts of Munich. The floor plan is triangular with the long sides facing south from the street to the garden. The remaining two sides, including the entrance, follow the shape of the plot. The largest façade in the south is carved out towards a spacious garden with a swimming pool. The building is envisioned as a sturdy block, with three large openings and double-height space engraved on the long south side.
Within the building, the triangles will be L-shaped and the rooms will be placed on two levels along the more closed north and street sides around the two height spaces. This central area is the living room, which sinks into a hollow extending into the terrace below, integrating the interior and exterior spaces. The three full-height openings are carved from a block of brick and glazed with almost no framing elements.
In contrast to these extroverted spaces, the library is an intimate space that shares a double-sided fireplace with the adjacent living room. The gallery on the upper floors, as well as a connection to a sleeping room or studio, embraces twice the height of the volume, leading to an outdoor terrace located just halfway between the central space and the garden, on the ground floor. On this floor, the three corners of the triangle are occupied by the bedroom (one for each child, for the master bedroom) and feature a unique large black framed window that is the “eye” of the building.
The volume is covered with a thin “Flensburg” style gray brick. A rustic band with alternating concave brick courses wanders the façade, connecting volumes and emphasizing the huge, almost castle-like nature of the building. Perforated bricks cover the windows on the street side, giving privacy to these rooms and allowing for a more closed and even skin on these sides.
At the same time, a depression is used to find the entrance. The double-height space is reflected in the cellar. The sunken central hobby area is depicted by a triangular circulation, separated by huge triangular concrete columns, leading to space for guests, sports and storage. There is a strong sculptural feature throughout the volume. Gallerys, terraces and Atria shape the space, carve out elements, open passages, work together, and blur the boundaries between the inside and the outside, while retaining the unity of the masses.
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