SLOPE HOUSE / DMOA architects
SLOPE HOUSE / DMOA architects
Description
December 2007 "Let’s hope it won’t be too complex to build on a slope this steep ..." A black ski slope in the woods... the inclination feels somewhat like that. High chestnut trees hinder the overview on the plot. A classic house with downstairs living areas and upstairs bedrooms wouldn’t make sense here. "We hold our breath for the construction phase, we already saw actual mudslides washing down the slope... "
Today An inverted house. Park your car on top of the plateau and cross the deeper grounds over a Corten steel bridge. Now you reach the front door on the top floor. Open brickwork shields the outdoor entrance, thus creating an atmospheric privacy barrier to the neighbouring house. This space grants a first look at the tops of the trees and you feel the spectacular height at which you are located. "... In the evening, the sunlight whirls through the masonry claustra into my office. Still, the neighbours can’t peek inside because the holes are so small. Recently, there was a woodpecker right in front of me, tapping a hole in the top of a tree while I was working myself, albeit at a desk... "
The entrance continues past the home office to the staircase. You descend one floor along a large east oriented window overlooking the green roof. "Morning light shimmers through the steps, all the way into the downstairs living room..." Several outdoor spaces are accessible from the main rooms: At the rear side of the house lies a large south west facing patio deck. You find yourself between the peaceful treetops; parapet walls shield the view to the lower buildings. From this deck you can easily reach the sloping woodland garden where the children love to horse around.
At the front side of the house, the back door to the kitchen hooks onto the natural slope. "Although we have such a steep terrain, there is still the possibility at every level and from every room to go outside by various smart attachments onto the terrain... "
Finally, the staircase descends further to the lowest level. Fully inground parts are designed as storage and technical rooms. The bedrooms however line up along the amply glazed rear facade, and anchor on at garden level. Light is scarce at the foot of a forest, but large windows capture as much light as possible. "Because our sleep level lies embedded in the ground, the rooms remain cool in the summer... and yet we can maximally enjoy the forest due to the big windows..."
The facade exists out of nuanced, warm-red brick, making a nice blend with the green surroundings. Various brick formats reflect the variation in nature. The house is embedded soberly in the forest, but the forest enters with abundance.
