Residential
Program
Design of a compact single-family house on a small plot in a German town. The brief called for a minimal, modern, and sustainable dwelling that could provide a comfortable three-bedroom family setup within a restrained footprint.
Thermal mass, energy performance, and material efficiency were central to the concept. The house is conceived as an intimate domestic retreat, where robust construction and quiet spatial organisation create a calm, durable, and energy-conscious living environment.
Client
Langer & Langer
Location
Flein, Germany
Surface
310 m²
Cost
1 100 000 €
Project Status
Under Construction
Architecture/Design
Himmelreich Architektur
Role
Design, Conception & Approval Drawings
Date
2023
Project Overview
While the name implies a sculpture in isolation, the project is, at its heart, a tailored sanctuary designed to cocoon a family within the hilly landscape of Flein. The architecture acts as a protective shell of Infraleichtbeton, sheltering the private life within from the public street. This "monolithic retreat" is the result of an intimate dialogue between the architect and the owners, translating their desire for a compact footprint into a series of surprisingly generous, light-filled volumes. Inside, the raw exterior gives way to a refined composition of warm materials, where high ceilings provide the mental "breathing room" essential for contemporary domestic life.
Images © Himmelreich Architektur
Detailing the Monolith
The detail drawings translate the idea of a compact concrete house into precise buildable assemblies. Junctions between basement wall, ground, floor slab, roof, drainage, and openings are carefully resolved to maintain continuity between structure, insulation, waterproofing, and thermal performance.
The use of infra-lightweight concrete allows the envelope to act as both mass and insulation, reinforcing the monolithic character of the house. Timber roof construction, terrace junctions, and window details complete the architectural logic — balancing material solidity with energy efficiency, durability, and domestic comfort.
Volume in Context
The interactive model allows the house to be read as a compact concrete volume within its immediate neighbourhood, slope, garden, and access conditions.
Rotate and zoom through the model to understand how the monolithic exterior is shaped around internal domestic spaces, terraces, openings, and the cantilevered condition above the parking ramp. The model clarifies the project as both a solid object in the landscape and an intimate family house organised through section, mass, and carefully framed views.
Photo Gallery
