A point of
reference in variety
Scenic
uniqueness all to often suffers from being surrounded by a very ordinary
variety of architecture. In general the detached house targets at ‘uniqueness’,
too – though a very individual, or rather commercially shaped uniqueness. This
is also true for the mountain range of the Wiehengebirge, located next to 150
km of the northern German lowlands. The house is situated in the immediate
neighbourhood of the Wiehengebirge and upgraded by the Midland Canal with its
vegetated banks. The surplus of uniqueness without any consent does not lead to
an appealing, specific situation, shaped by scenery and architecture. It leads
to an undesigned chaos of form, colour and natural as well as urbanistic space.
What can an architect achieve under such conditions?
At this
place there is introduced an additional architectural element, but his design
demonstrates a halt, a standstill. It contrasts the jolly airiness of an
undirected collage of everything with architecturally established urbanistic
targets. A white signal for the possibilities of unity in variety, the argument
for an essentially different, better treatment of the scenery. Not by raising
the educational voice, but with the great space and freedom of modern living.
For authorisation reasons the roof had to be pitched. But it is not a red,
yellow, black or blue saddleback roof. The inside follows the outside form and
thus creates an island of silence amid chaos. The occupants immerse themselves
in the treasure of an undreamt of quality of living conditions.