Wooden House with an Inner Courtyard / DI Bernardo Bader

Architects: DI Bernardo Bader
Location: Sulz, Austria
Project year: 2010
Photographs: DI Bernardo Bader

Focal idea of the concept is the valuable “indoor environment quality” achieved by the inner garden courtyard which is hidden from outside views on this relatively small site.

A congenial alternative to the classical single-family houses in vorarlberg with their typical one-piece cubatures and poorly screened private outdoor areas because in the majority of cases the gardens are just surrounded by some hedges.

The parcel of land, just measuring 500 square meter, is located in a soon-to-be populated area of settlement at the outskirts of the village sulz. It lies between existing development and the agricultural green belt and girded by highly frequented paths leading to the recreational area in the close neighborhood.

The house is arranged on two floors. The ground floor contains kitchen, dining- and living room, secondary rooms and the garage. The terrace encloses the greened patio in whose centre a tree grows through the open roof.

Outdoor- and indoor space are merging fluently when the wide floor-to-ceilling glazing is opened in summer. Like a landscape painting the large openable cutout in the façade lets the eyes wander to the flanking scenery. On the upper floor all rooms except for one are directed into the patio as well.