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Villa Carlotta

The timber-cladded villa in Erfurt's Steinhalde bears the name Carlotta - composed of syllables from the first names of the owners' twin daughters, Carla and Charlotta - and is a reminiscence of the previous owners' summerhouse.

Architect:
dma deckertmesterarchitekten BDA partnerschaft mbb
Photos:
Victor S.Β BrigolaΒ Photography
Location:
Erfurt, Germany
Products:
  • Lignosil-Color

White timber villa on a slope

Steinhalde is a steep path that can only be accessed as far as Villa Carlotta. The special topography of the south-facing slope resulted in the terracing of the building and thus a separation of the entrance and living levels: Children's rooms, guest rooms and work rooms are located on the first floor in an east-west direction, while the living level located in the basement faces south towards the garden. A largely prefabricated wooden structure with an especially flat gable roof sits on the base of reinforced concrete set parallel into the slope in the longitudinal direction of the building.

This orientation is further emphasised by a roof of glue laminated timer projecting five metres freely over the forecourt. This provides a sheltered entrance area that offers space for cars, bicycles and a ping-pong table or for summer parties on very hot or even rainy days.

The interior is on purpose kept simple and allows the residents an individual and flexible use. The central space is an open dining area; it connects both levels via an air space and opens up room-high to the terrace and the garden.

All exterior wall surfaces of the building are clad with white painted wood boarding. On the one hand, this supports the expressive overall form, but on the other hand it is also a piece of memory culture. β€œWith the larch wood panelling, we wanted to pick up on the style of the previous building," explains architect Rainer Mester of dmarchitekten in Erfurt. But in contrast to the special charm of the original summer house with its specky, shiny, peeling layers of paint, the planners chose KEIM Lignosil-Color, a mineral-matt wood finish that is ideal in the sense of building biology.

Like every silicate paint, KEIM Lignosil bonds permanently with the substrate through silicification. It is extremely weather-resistant, UV-stable and lightfast.

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Thus, the white wooden villa fits elegantly into the terrain and reservedly into the housing estate of the 1920s, yet self-confidently maintains its very own character. The outstanding architectural quality was recognised by the Thuringian Chamber of Architects in 2015 with the Thuringian Timber Construction Award. Absolutely deserved!

Products used in this project

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