Garden home

By Rutvi Ashar

Photography: Christian Sperr; courtesyCaramel Architects

Read Time: 2 mins

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Caramel Architects in conjunction with Architect Günther Litzlbauer synergise a garden plot and single family dwelling that banks on local regulations and maximises the potential of the land and its surroundings. 

Known for their award winning homes, architect trio, Katherl, Haller and Aspetsberger of Caramel architekten zt gmbh along with Architect Günther Litzlbauer design a home near Vienna, Austria that follows the local sub-division bye-laws  thereby permitting each building to be a part of the formation of a big wonderful garden right in the heart of the block. 

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The site is the hero of the design here. Built at a height to avoid the ground water and the slight subsidence of the property to the street level, the 433 square meter plot is a stacked volume of spaces interconnected with their outdoor landscape making House D a perfect Viennese home.

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An intelligent application of glass and floor heights brings in the green spaces on this plot and as we move higher, surrounding greens weave into the design. Due to functional constraints, part of the elevation is clad with vertical grey fir wood battens that arrange to form slits that play with light and shadow brilliantly! A union of concrete, glass and wood enable the architects to play with the volume and surprise the viewer with hidden spaces such as the attic.

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The division of spaces is unlike typical arrangements, where living and cooking happen on the ground floor and sleeping and relaxing is segregated on the first floor. Differently shaped spaces are stacked vertically, joined by a dynamic staircase, complete with a playful partition.

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The designer’s concept is clear: to let the three volumes appear as one - a clean facade with strong lines, where the intimacy within the plot and indoors goes to show that modern Viennese architecture can be constructed without a compromise on the traditional lifestyle of the locals.