Atelierhouse in the Neighbourhood

The watermills by the stream served as the starting point, providing friction for the urban design of our neighborhood. The flowing water guided movement throughout the district: in some places, the stream runs hidden beneath the mills, while at deliberately chosen squares, it emerges as a gathering place. Together with water towers and basins, rainwater becomes part of a sustainable resource concept.

The robustness of our Atelierhouse revealed the potential for an extremely dense urban layout. This created an interplay between narrow, intimate alleyways and sheltered courtyards, contrasting with the openness of the public squares and the accessible rooftop pavilion. The house itself is deeply introverted: solid exterior walls clearly separate it from its surroundings, with the central courtyard serving as the sole source of light. Upon entering, however, this outer heaviness dissolves into a delicate timber structure, whose columns and varying roof heights articulate the spaces, ranging from private zones like the bathroom to fluidly overlapping spaces along the courtyard.