The Design Home is reader-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.
3M House is a hillside residence located in Lizn Austria. It lies at the foot of the Pöstlingberg Mountain of Alps, on the slopes of Danube Valley. Designed by destilat, the concept of the house integrates the uniqueness of the surrounding location into the building and provides excellent views over the Danube Valley and Alps. Following the slope of the topography, the house is split into three levels, with different ceiling heights on all three floors.
Here is a description from the architects, “An exposed concrete body with flagged surface forms the center of the house. It penetrates the split levels staggered around it and is noticeably set into scene throughout the house by the surrounding constructions. The split levels allow for different ceiling heights in all floors. The courtyard, cut into the upper floor, illuminates rooms on three levels, leaving neighbours to face a monolithic, closed-looking facade.
The fully glazed southern side opens on the upper floor to a framed structure with terrace floating just above garden-level. It leads the interior – flush from floor to ceiling – towards the exterior, naturally gives shadow to the glazing, protects against weathering and is the dominant element of design on the southern facade.
On its back side or road side, the building appears as a single storey. The cantilevered projecting roof of the carport arouses curiosity and leads visitors to the entrance. The entrance, with attached dressing room, surprises with its fully glazed view into the courtyard.
The kitchen leans elegantly against the concrete cube, the ceiling and two-sided glazing surrounds the dining table and a reveals a view into the Danube Valley and, through the lateral terrace, into the private garden laid out one-fourth of a floor deeper.
Past the kitchen, a broad staircase leads to a four-meter high air space and into the living room which lies just under garden level, which, like the rooms for sleeping and working, are arranged around the courtyard. The living room is attached to a terrace cut into the garden, with a barbecue place along the supporting wall at the edge of the property.
The exposed concrete body seems to float two meters twenty above the living room – an exciting mix of spatial perceptions: the elevated vis-à-vis the squat. Cut into the ground are the guest bathroom, the equipment room and the studio. The latter is one and a half storeys high, is connected to the courtyard and serves residents as a creative area.
One last time, a short connecting staircase leads to the basement where the kids’ rooms with side rooms and level exit leads into a terrace garden supported by a stone wall, adapted from property remains. The exposed concrete pool is boldly cantilevered over the supporting stone wall and seals off the terraced garden from the private garden area above.”
Image Courtesy: destilat
