UNStudio in Stuttgart, Germany

The Haus am Weinberg, in Stuttgart, Germany, was designed by UNStudio. Photo: Iwan Baan/ Courtesy UNStudio

Built on the site of an ancient hillside vineyard east of Stuttgart, Germany, the Haus am Weinberg is a large, white modernist composition poised on its site. Designed by UNStudio, the 618-square-meter (6,650-square-foot) four-story home overlooks river-valley farmland and stands in stark contrast to the brick and wood buildings that surround it.

Haus am Weinberg is generally rectangular in plan, and extensively glazed. From the outside, the three-level home's structure appears to be a series of counterweighted surfaces that cantilever to shade the glass walls that separate inside from out. At key points, the home's solid horizonal surfaces fluidly into transition walls, connecting each floor or roof plane with the one below and deftly balancing the building on its sloped site. At one corner, the second floor plane smoothly bends upward to join the roof.

Looking across the dining room of the Haus am Weinberg toward the living room. Photo: Iwan Baan/ Courtesy UNStudio

The middle floor contains the main living spaces, although the main entrance is on the southeast corner of the lowermost floor. A grand, sculptural stair ascends to the living floor where one arrives at the northern edge of the double-height living space. Just to the north, one further step up leads to at a sheltered area beneath an upper-floor bridge that separates the living from from the double-height  dining space that occupies occupies the home's northwestern corner.

The eastern facade of the Haus am Weinberg, with upper-floor bedrooms overlooking the vineyard. Photo: Iwan Baan/ Courtesy UNStudio

To the east, this sheltered space becomes a corridor with a large multipurpose room (den) and kitchen on either side. At its end, the corridor presents a door to a wide patio. A stair also leads to the upper floor bedrooms and private spaces, which face mainly to the east.

Looking across the living room of the Haus am Weinberg toward the dining space. Photo: Iwan Baan/ Courtesy UNStudio

Back in the living room,  a second grand stair, at ninety degrees to the first, also leads upstairs. And above the stair, a skylight washes the innermost portion of the home with daylight from above. The living room's southern and western walls are glazed, offering a commanding view of the valley.

The kitchen countertops of Haus am Weinberg. Photo: Iwan Baan/ Courtesy UNStudio

Besides the grand entry the lowermost floor contains service spaces, as well as guest quarters, and an apartment that opens onto a small patio and natural pool. One story up, another pool -- a slim swimming pool -- runs along the western wall of the dining space.

Building plan diagram. Image: UNStudio

Data

• Client: undisclosed
• Location: Stuttgart, Germany
• Net Building Surface: 618 square meters (6,650 square feet)
• Building Volume: 2839 cubic meters (100,258 cubic feet)
• Building Site: 1280 square meters (13,800 square feet)

Main floor plan drawing. Image. UNStudio

Credits

• Architect: UNStudio, Amsterdam, Netherlands; 
• Design Team: Ben van Berkel, Caroline Bos, Astrid Piber with René Wysk, Kirsten Hollmann-Schröter and Cynthia Markhoff, Christian Bergmann, Jan Schellhoff, Iris Pastor, Rodrigo Cañizares, Albert Gnodde, Beatriz Zorzo Talavera, Shany Barath, Esteve Umbert Morits and Hannes Pfau
• Construction Management: G+O Architekten GmbH, Leinfelden-Echterdingen
• Structural Engineer: Bollinger und Grohmann GmbH, Frankfurt
• Structural Engineer on site: Kraft Baustatik, Biesigheim
• MEP:
• Electrical: Aktive Partner Michael Blickle, Stuttgart
• Heating/Plumbing: Bauer & Ihle GmbH, Esslingen
• Ventilation: Plangruppe Emhardt, Möglingen
• Landscape: Atelier Dreiseitl GmbH, Überlingen
• Lighting consultant: ag licht GbR, Bonn
• Photographer: Iwan Baan