House in Process
House in Process presents working with the existing as a design method. A 1961 single-family house with an additional apartment in Ludwigsburg was not replaced, but read through use, tested and gradually developed in several phases since 2013. The result is not a new building in place of the existing one, but a new life cycle for the house.
The transformation began from within: rooms were reorganised and opened, while existing qualities were carried forward. Later, the roof was structurally rebuilt, the knee wall raised and a new timber construction connected to the existing masonry structure. Additional living space was created without sealing any further land.
The energy upgrade brings the building to the German KfW Efficiency House 55 EE standard. Wood-fibre insulation, triple glazing, an air-to-water heat pump and roof-integrated photovoltaics become part of the architectural decision as a whole.
A ventilated façade of charred timber brings the different interventions together into a coherent whole. Inside, the bright attic level of knot-free white fir forms a calm counterpoint to the dark envelope.
The project is not a conventional before-and-after story, but shows how an existing house can continue to grow precisely over time.
