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Haus W by London and Hamburg based practice Kraus Schönberg Architects is an affordable low-energy house located in Hamburg, Germany. The prefabricated private house is built for a young couple and their two children. The house is composed of two parts – the lower part is transparent and connects with the surrounding garden and vegetation while the upper part offers privacy and individual freedom to the occupants.
From the architects, “The building is separated into an upper and a lower part. The upper volume consists of rooms of various heights corresponding to their individual function. Bedrooms, bathrooms, the dressing room and the rooms for the children all require different heights and project into the lower living areas. This common space is organised by these staggered volumes without being interrupted by partitions.
Walking around the house takes one through a variety of rooms on the upper levels, which are orientated to the garden as well as to the inner atrium. The walls and floors of the individual upper rooms are built of sustainable CNC-cut timber panels. These do a variety of things. They constitute the finish; define spaces and functions; help insulate the building; are recyclable; create a comfortable internal environment; and offer a cost-effective building solution.
The lower ground floor is cut into the ground creating direct views into the garden while standing up, or offering a feeling of security while sitting down.”
Photography: Ioana Marinescu, Courtesy: Kraus Schönberg Architects
