URBAN TREEHOUSE

The building program consisted of a living/working home for the famous photographer Andreas Feininger. In addition, a guesthouse was included. In particular, the waiting façade and the semicircular corner plot were important elements in the surrounding area. Since the photographer Andreas Feininger photographs both in New York and in nature, the concept of this house is also the duality between the city and nature. The center and largest tree is preserved and the house is completely arranged around this tree. Furthermore, specific views determined the placement of the windows. Thereby a contrast was created as in the images of Feininger, the work is mainly focused on the city, the living is more focused on the tree. The living space has a priori of both.

 

Furthermore, a composition of different volumes, each with its own function, form the main volume of this house. The work volume is an upright beam and extends completely through the house passing through all four floors. The displacement of the different volumes creates both covered spaces and an outdoor space at the crown of the tree. In order to clearly organize these different volumes, a Mondrian grid was used. The construction of the project consists of a steel framework structure supported by several round steel columns to obtain a floating effect. All walls consist of concrete shuttered with individual vertical planks, of which the texture will remain visible after demoulding. Finally, the long narrow windows refer to the vertical windows of the town houses along this project.