This small house, called House Unimog, is the result of a collaboration by Wezel Architektur’s and Fabian Evers Architecture. The two studios combined their technical know-how and creativity to develop this simple, but beautiful and efficient home in Germany.
The unusual house is sited next to a heavily trafficked road in Tübingen, its surrounded by a mixture of multi-story residential and agricultural buildings. The design consists of two main volumes; the ground floor acts as a spacious garage to house the owners large Mercedes Unimog truck, and the upper level of the home is dedicated to the living quarters.
House Unimog was designed and built on a “very tight” budget, 175,000 Euros ($238,190). To save money they created a home that’s structurally efficient, doubling up on structural materials to act as interior finishes (OSB). The overall aesthetic is adopted from the surrounding farmhouses with it’s own contemporary interpretation.
To minimise the buildings footprint (and costs) the two main functional spaces were stacked on top of one another. The elevated living spaces allowed the architects to take advantage of the views; they were able to orient window openings away from the busy street and focus them on the landscape.
Unlike the living quarters above, the garage doesn’t have any windows. Instead it’s clad with translucent polycarbonate sheeting which creates a very bright interior, without any outward views at the street level. The two types of cladding on the upper and lower levels are also in complete contrast with each other – one is verging on white, the other on black.
The side of House Unimog that faces away from the road features a staircase that leads up to a loggia. The loggia offers panorama views of the Germany landscape. The glass patio doors open up to an open plan living room, kitchen and dining space. You’ll also find a bedroom and bathroom, all of which are finished in OSB. The windows openings have been positioned so as to take advantage of the neighbourhood.
For more small houses check out Mad Men star Vincent Kartheiser’s small 580-square-foot cabin, or Tower House by Benjamin Waechter Architects. See all small houses.
Via Inhabitat
Photos: Fabian Evers Architecture
I think that is really nice. I like the simplicity of it.
‘Very tight budget?! at over 200,000! I would expect more than plywood looking walls. I to like the simplicity of it, but for that price, let’s see a little more quality.
The same thing occurred to me. Granted Europe is more expensive in general, but it still seems like a very reasonable budget to me. Perhaps it included the cost of the land too.
Maybe with the land too. I. Could see that, but not just for the home. I know it’s more expensive out there but…
I love this home it is very much like the home my husband is designing. My only concern is that if the OSB is not interior rated if off gasses something terrible, toxic fumes unless it is interior rated. If it has flame retardant in it even mores toxic. Highly flammable. I say to the residents of this home b careful. I do love the design.
Hey Debi, I personally wouldn’t be too worried about the off-gassing from OSB panels – they off-gas a relatively low amount over a long period of time, whereas boards like MDF off-gas at a higher rate, over a short period of time. That said, I can understand peoples concerns, especially when it comes to smaller spaces!
Question: What type of flooring material was used in the upper story of this house?
Thank you.