The elegant exterior of House 61, designed by Christoph Ingenhoven, showcasing a modern and minimalist facade that harmonizes with its urban surroundings
The elegant exterior of House 61, designed by Christoph Ingenhoven, showcasing a modern and minimalist facade that harmonizes with its urban surroundings
PROJECTS / HOUSE 61
House 61
This detached private house was designed with high standards for ecology, environmental sustainability, and building biology. Shaped like a ring segment, the villa opens towards a park-like garden adjacent to a protected landscape conservation area. The transparent villa, with approximately 400 square meters of net floor area, exudes a light and almost weightless feel. Natural, unprocessed, and non-toxic materials are predominantly used, with the façade and window frames crafted from Oregon pine. The coated glass offers excellent thermal insulation and protects against mobile phone radiation and electric smog. The design also minimizes electromagnetic pollution and radon emissions, with bedrooms featuring a mains cut-off mechanism. Two staircases connect the main floor to a lower level housing playrooms and secondary functions.
The house generates power from renewable sources, with energy consumption well below the stringent German energy-saving regulations. Heating is sourced from three methods: 85% from a thermal solar system and a ground-source heat pump, and additional hot water during peak times from a wood-pellet-fueled heating system. In summer, the underfloor heating is linked to a geothermal cooling system. Electricity is sourced from renewable energy through the public grid. A custom-made computer system manages and optimizes room functions, regulating natural ventilation and sun shading via a motor-controlled façade system with several preselected functional scenarios. Rainwater collected from the roof is stored in cisterns for irrigation purposes. The cantilevering roof is supported by 18 slender steel columns and made from stainless steel to prevent rainwater contamination. House 61 offers the optimum standard of healthy living.
Data
Construction Start 2003
Completion 2005
Client Private
GFA 747 m²
Credits
Structural Engineering
Werner Sobek
Facade Planning
DS-Plan
Lightning
Tropp
landscape planning
Weber, Klein und Maas
Awards
2009
Deutscher Landschaftsarchitekturpreis 2009