House R, Rankweil

The key project objective was to create ‘open living’, incorporating multiple references to the very beautiful surroundings while also highlighting the different qualities of those outdoor spaces. The client also wanted the interior as open as possible, without losing clear separation between the individual zones. While having the planning talks, the central kitchen became the “cockpit”, and during the construction period the elevated work surface became the “DJ booth”.

The upper level is in contrast to the openness on the ground floor. Here there are intimate rooms, each offering bespoke vistas out to the beautiful surroundings, allowing light to flood through and enhance each room, creating added depth and individuality. The atmospheric quality of the alcove between the bathroom and the bedroom caused the client to abandon the planned Jacuzzi, in favour of an additional seating area. At the beginning, three identical children’s rooms where requested. However, through the planning discussions, individual configurations evolved, generating rooms named after their unique features, “Walnut”, “Bay”, and “The Balcony Room”.

The result of this open and collaborative planning process is a house in the heart of the village, which allows for cross-generational living and offers usable and enjoyable outdoor spaces. The project also took into account sustainability through the selection of ecological materials, working to low-energy house standards and planning for energy generation via geothermal heat pumps.