k_m architektur created this contemporary residence in 2012 for a client located in Heilbronn, Germany. It is an eco-friendly home that uses solar and geothermal energy to provide heat during the colder months. The hallway has a large wardrobe and a airy-looking stairway leads upstairs into an open-plan, cooking, eating and being area, with full height glazing on both sides, entirely surrounded with a balcony that give an impression of openness and width. The overhanging parts of the upper roof shelter the balcony and give a shade to the broad expanses of glazing, protecting the house from excessive solar grain in the summertime. In the winter, the sunshine becomes a passive source of energy. Along the northern side of the dwelling is a guest toilet, a utility room and a storage room next to the kitchen. The entire façade of the building is clad with larch as well as copper on the upper volume. The house was designed according to strict considerations of sustainability, involving the ecological quality of the materials and choices such as a solar hot-water-system, geo–thermal heating and a stove in the living area.
