Dunes

Oct 15

Written By Omar Dahabra

Location: Mainz, Germany
Year: 2025
Architects: HGA Henning Grahn Architektur
Photography by: David Schreyer

Located directly in the city of Mainz, this sustainable timber structure replaces an existing semi-detached house, which could not be reused due to its minimal ceiling heights, damaged structure and harmful substance. In the heterogeneous environment of single houses, post-war row houses, and elements of Gründerzeit buildings, the new house fits into the structure of the semi-detached houses. The central position divides the plot into two distinct sides: a green side with a lawn, and a more urban side for the access. The existing garage is adapted and serves as a buffer to the street using the same ventilated facade made of pre-greyed larch as the residential building to create a formal ensemble. The special, funnel-shaped plot forms the geometry of the floor plan of the house. Opening onto both sides of the outdoor space, the living room allows for different connections and usage patterns.

The compact house for a family of five offers four individual rooms despite a minimal floor area. Construction details were developed as homogeneously as possible and without adhesive bonding. Additionally construction layers were simplified extremely: the floor made of laminated timber elements is simply covered with carpet tiles. An insulated concrete ground slab serves as a robust in the ground floor. A drywall wall heating system is installed behind the interior cladding of untreated spruce panels. The wooden windows, flush with the facade, are offset in the elevation - a system which is also found in surrounding houses. The horizontal cladding of the facade is precisely matched to the offset window elements, a plinth made of L-blocks requires no additional waterproofing. Due to the high degree of prefabrication of the timber frame construction and the avoidance of drying times, an extremely short construction time was achieved. Text description by the architects.

Source: www.hga.archi
Gross Built Area (m2/ ft2): 125 m²

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