Villa Black Forest | Germany
13 december 2022
Project: Villa Black Forest, Weigheim | Germany
Architect: Rebholz Architekten u. Ing. GmbH, Bad Dürrheim |Germany
Fabricator & Installer: Holzbau Leopold GmbH & Co. KG, Rottweil | Germany
Façade System: Riveted/Screwed
Year of Construction: 2021
Product: ALUCOBOND® PLUS vintage Rough Concrete
Photos: swissFineLine AG
EXPOSED CONCRETE IN THE BLACK FOREST
Some people are not keen on high density, but they do like an urban feel. This means that although they opt for more space and sizable plots of land in the countryside, they still have a preference for urban architecture and the privacy typically afforded by city life. These may seem straightforward enough requests, but from architectural and social perspectives, it is not at all easy in rural areas. For an open plot lacks hidden corners, recesses or vertically stacked living spaces which provide concealed hideaways, and disappearing into the masses is not an option. This Black Forest villa, built by Rebholz Architekten, cannot vanish. Its architectural materiality and format alone make it stand out. However, to ensure the residents privacy, a closed ALUCOBOND® façade seals the building off on the side overlooking the road, and a panoramic glass frontage to opens it up towards the sweeping landscape. Privacy is also enhanced by the structure’s hillside location: bedrooms disappear into the basement, living rooms and patio are set back above the garage. The bedrooms on the upper floor also shift well behind the protective edges of the façade. By means of intelligent stacking and stratification, wide vistas are provided without sacrificing privacy: it is the same, effective concept used in high density cities. Despite the close proximity of the neighbour, the feeling in the first floor living spaces is of magnificent solitude in the open countryside. This impression is thanks to the use of frameless, floor-to-ceiling glazing and an unobstructed 180° view. The architects also opted for an urban materiality: a concrete and glass structure rather than a traditional Black Forest chalet. However, exposed concrete is not impervious to weathering: elegant at first, then charming but finally, it just looks shabby. The architects avoided this progression by selecting a weatherproof and corrosion-resistant ALUCOBOND® façade. The vintage Rough Concrete décor offers that used look typical of concrete, and the appearance does not alter over time. Exposed concrete in the Black Forest? Had the topography not facilitated a merging of house and hill, the result might have looked harsh and insensitive. By digging parts of the house into the hillside and planting greenery on the roofs, the architects unified the house with the terrain. In this case, it is literally true that you live in the Black Forest, in its soil and above its fields. The village church and trees are reflected in the façade, situating the urban-looking house way out in the countryside.