Villa S

Schriesheim

Villa S sits on a hillside above the historic town of Schriesheim, in Baden-Württemberg, southwest Germany. From its elevated site the building offers panoramic views of the surrounding countryside: to the south, the Black Forest; to the west, the Palatinate and the Rhine Valley; to the east, the Odenwald mountain range; and in the foreground, on a neighbouring hillside, the ruins of Strahlenburg Castle, built circa 1295. Within this setting, the project presents itself as an elemental two-tier structure in white cast in-situ concrete.

The concrete has been well honed, the culmination of years of perfecting its use, perfecting the right mix, the quality of shuttering and the waxes applied, to ensure a smooth matt finish. Here it is used within a massing composition that generates visceral, experiential space; a celebration of building, dwelling and place-making.

The lower level is articulated as a heavy concrete cuboid, its structural heft the result of the double concrete wall system, the solidity and density of which is strikingly on show at the front of the house courtesy of the deeply set glazing. The internal walls are loadbearing, thereby allowing the outer walls to function as formidable facing. Within this block, the bedrooms and bathrooms are safely cocooned. Above, the pavilion like configuration engages with the landscape and the elements.

The ground floor plan is made up of three interconnected but well-defined areas. The first of these, on the north side, comprises the garage, entranceway and an external staircase leading down to the lower ground level and garden. The living space, kitchen and the building’s stairwell define the central area, with the upper landing providing access to the garage as well as to a toilet and washroom facility. The large terrace, on the south side, accessed via three sliding glass panels, completes the 135 sqm ground floor area.

The downstairs layout is larger, measuring 175sqm. This consists of two south-facing bedrooms, with floor to ceiling glazing, both having en-suite bathrooms; a central area, which is capable of accommodating two additional well-sized rooms; and, towards the rear, a utility and washroom, a general storage space, and a dedicated room for the building’s electrics and heating system. Ceiling heights measure 2.6m for the lower level and 2.85m for the ground floor.

From a volumetric standpoint the main living area takes centre stage, its spatial grandeur amplified by the expansive vistas that its location commands. These are framed and contained by the continuous inside-outside Brazilian slate flooring and the roof's 2.6m cantilever. On the north side of the building an equally bold tectonic display defines the entranceway, its seemingly gravity defying open canopy delivering a dynamic interplay of light and shadow.

Throughout the scheme the villa's clarity of composition is enriched by the Meranti doors and window frames. These provide a strong aesthetic counterpoint to the white concrete, while simultaneouly complementing the slate flooring, both inside and out, and the opaque matt glass panels that form part of the fenestration.

Within this framework, the building's bespoke light fitting delivers internal and external coverage, works within the structural parameters of the concrete ceilings, and harmonizes with the architecture's exacting, pared-back aesthetic.

The outer casing (12cm x 12cm x 8cm) is milled from a solid block of aluminium; internally it comprises 49 1W LEDs mounted on a platina plate, combined with a highly polished stainless steel reflector and a specially satinized plexi-glass cover. The result is a low energy, high performance lamp that delivers an even spread of emitted light.

The villa's offset long axis orchestrates the lighting layout, hence the asymmetric spacing of the three lamps along the south-facing cantilever. Save for this subtle lighting detail, the south façade's symmetry robustly counterbalances the asymmetrical arrangement that organises the north elevation.

Villa S, Schriesheim, 2014
White cast in-situ concrete, slate, wood and bespoke lighting

Villa S, White cast in-situ concrete, near Heidelberg, Baden-Württemberg, Germany
Completion date: August 2014 

Prospettive Zen
Marie Claire Maison Italia
Una geometria all’insegna della sottrazione, fatta di linee rigorose, 
per il padiglione format Ian Shaw Architekten a Siegen, in Germania

Villa S, near Heidelberg, Baden-Württemberg, Germany
White cast in-situ concrete, slate, steel & glass
Completion date: August 2014

Beton-Balkone
Frankfurt am Main

Two free-standing, super-sized balcony stuctures abut a late nineteenth century apartment building in Frankfurt.

 

The concrete’s etched finish - the result of extensive testing with several 1:1 samples, incorporating various aggregates and pigments - references the use of red sandstone in the door and window trims. And as a counterpoint to the scheme’s solidity, self-supporting stainless steel railings elegantly enclose each floor plate.

The spindles in each railing section sit within precisely aligned 50mm deep countersunk stainless steel bushings, collectively configured as a single unit within the pre-cast concrete mould in order to eliminate any movement. A series of circular steel plate surrounds completes the railing detail, slotting into the bushings and sitting flush with the floor.

Internally, the platforms are calibrated with a 2% fall to allow for drainage. 3cm thick sandstone slabs, positioned on footings, provide a safe and durable surface.

In essence, the project’s composition and geometry represents a seamless integration of making and thought, culminating in two contextually measured structures.

Beton-Balkone
Prefabricated bespoke concrete and stainless steel railings
Frankfurt am Main, 2013

EDITION29 HOUSED 012 is now available for the iPad.

ICH BIN EIN FRANKFURTER 

Ian Shaw finds the exacting standards and precision of German design are his perfect fit

‘He’s more German than the Germans’. That’s what they say: colleagues, clients and friends. It’s a little weird, I’m a Mancunian, but it is flattering: German architecture is all about exacting standards and tectonic precision. They call it ‘Baukunst’ – the recognition of building as an art form – and this is what we aspire to in our projects. Ian Shaw Architekten was established in 1998. There are six of us and I am the only Engländer. We are based in Frankfurt, but we receive commissions from all over the country. We have also completed projects in the US, Russia and India.

Before moving to Germany, I spent three years in London, having graduated from Liverpool University in 1989. I worked first with Ken Armstrong – which was quite an experience. Although the firm was small, its architecture was widely published and won numerous awards for design excellence. But after a year I was looking for something more structured. I wanted to hone my detailing skills, and I when I joined Lifschutz Davidson Sandilands this is what I did. LDS also gave me the opportunity to work on some decent design projects – the wing-like canopy roof for south London’s Oxo tower restaurant building on the Thames being one of the most interesting.

Back to Europe
After three years, though, I wanted to get back to Europe – sorry, I mean mainland Europe! I was spoilt having done my internship with the acclaimed Swiss practice arb Architekten in Bern: with such clarity of thought, and its integration of design and construction, the firm does some beautiful work. The master builder ideal – ‘Baumeister’ – is alive and well out there. So when I got the opportunity to work in Germany – which comes a very good second to the Swiss – I had to take it. I had learnt German during my time in Bern. Actually, I had learnt Swiss German, but while I knew it was different, I didn’t appreciate how different. Big mistake. It must have taken me a good six months to adjust to High German (Hoch Deutsch). My colleagues wanted to speak English, but I insisted on German. They were very patient with me.

The company that I joined, and subsequently worked with for two years, was Braun and Voight, a highly respected practice in Frankfurt am Main. Within six months I was promoted to project director. This did feel a little odd because I was the youngest architect in my own team. One of my colleagues was in his early 60s. He was a site supervisor. His knowledge of construction was incredible; he gave me such an insight into the building culture over here: it’s about ‘making’ architecture, creating a sense of permanence, and being part of a tectonic tradition. I need to stress that I’m not suggesting such attitudes don’t exist in Britain. But it just feels more pronounced in Germany. Everything is taken to the nth degree. Building regulations are incredibly exacting, but it makes you sharper, more disciplined and more demanding. In Germany we just assume the very highest standards. You don’t have to apologise over here if measurements are out by a couple of millimetres – it’s done again until it’s right. And this applies to all areas of construction.

Super sustainable
Another issue that is central to building design in Germany, and has been for some time, is the environment. The country’s green credentials are second to none. The first Passivhaus dwellings, I believe, were built in Darmstadt as early as 1991. In fact, we are working with one of Germany’s leading environment engineers, Professor Tichelman, at Darmstadt University of Technology – developing our own version of the plus energy house concept. And within this work process it’s the architect who controls the costings. We don’t have quantity surveyors in Germany. Not surprisingly, this helps us appreciate how much things actually cost. Moreover, along with environmental issues, it informs how we design and how we build. This methodology applies to all our projects, both here and abroad. And yes, of course, we would love to build in the UK.

My architectural education – along with my three years of professional experience in London – taught me design theory, but the Germans taught me how to make buildings work. I still miss English humour, though. No one does irony like the Brits.


This article first appeared in the July edition of the RIBA Journal