Kylie Residence | Heuchelheim, Germany | 2021

Architects: gronych + dollega architekten
Lead Architects: Peter Gronych and Yvonne Dollega
Client: Petra and Christopher Rinn
Photographs Courtesy of the Architects

„Kylie“ Located on the outskirts of the city near the countryside, the building was designed as a residential house. The special feature: Like a sunflower, the structure rotates with the course of the sun. In the winter, the heating requirement is minimized due to the solar gains, whereby, in the summer, turning into the shade protects the house from overheating. At the same time, the relationship between the exterior and the interior is constantly restaged by rotating the building. Like in a film sequence, the residents experience the effect of the different scenarios on the interior. Seasons and the run of the day can be perceived emotionally, create intense spatial atmospheres and a high level of identity. 

The sculptural shape of the residential building develops from the requirements of the users as well as from the structural and energetic frame conditions. The living area forms the heart of the building with a high, open-air space and a dynamically designed staircase made of steel. The functional areas are arranged around this air space as freely formed architectural elements. 

The privacy area for the residents is integrated as an independent structure in the shape of a boomerang into the cylindrical base structure. A walkway through the airspace connects the work area and the far-reaching relaxation area. Thanks to its plasticity, the sculptural shape of the residential building creates a variety of spatial situations both indoors and outdoors. The exciting geometries and the individual spatial alignments of the structural components allow the exterior and interior to become one. The architecture transforms into a living organism. Heating is provided by a groundwater heat pump. Thermal comfort is achieved by using capillary tube mats in the floor and ceiling. 

A photovoltaic system on the roof generates electricity. In the overall balance, the house produces more energy than it consumes. The building was constructed with sustainability in mind. Building materials were used according to their significance. The building was realized as a prefabricated modern timber frame construction due to the economic efficiency and ecological aspects, but also on account of its weight. Oakwood as a native hardwood was used in the exterior, for the decking of the terrace, and in the interior for the furniture, the wall cladding and for the parquet flooring.