Baensch House. 1935. Hans Scharoun.

 

Baensch House is located in a valley of Havelland, closed to the Havel Lake, out beyond of Berlin`s urban core. Therefore track housing predominates in an area with where predominates a fantastic valley views, surrounded by lush vegetation. The plot is almost rectangular, facing south-east sloping down to The lakes. Thus, the house, which it has two levels, is located at the top of the plot, where it has the main entrance is. The whole programme is arranged to take advantage of the fantastic surroundings of valley.

The house was built for Felix Baench and the brief included the requirements for a little modern family with many different activities which had to be shared in the same space: a space to play piano, a space to work, two bedrooms, a kitchen, a meeting room and a dining room.

Its facts and to take the most of surroundings was the main priorities for Scharoun's project. The main floor was approached like a fan, where different platforms were added to natural ground in each level and opened to the surroundings (to the south) providing the movement to the house.

In each one is located different functions, and its are joined by the stairs:

Each space is defined by its function and a series of smaller stairs unify this interior landscape:

On the top level, study – reading room, to the north, kitchen, to the east and finally the dinning room, which is a little, half-open room that overlooks the landscape. It has big windows despite. It has cantilevers and a great deal of vegetation that covers the house. Thus, the light is filtered through the trees and seeps into the rooms. North light streams into the office. the light of north is introduced to the space through light streaming. On the lower level is the lounge, thought like a relaxing area for looking at the landscape or playing the piano. Bedrooms are located on the second floor where there is a great large terrace over the lounge level.

In Baensch House, the exteriors are as important as the interiors. In fact, Scharoun thought developed the spatial organisation on the plot as an architectural promenade like a promenade architectural. The experience could begins from either the interior of the lounge, from the dining room or from the terrace in second floor, where you can experiment view the landscape. It continues visually along the path, though the different platform levels of the garden until to reach the low bottom of the plot.

Scharoun, as a modern architect, thought carefully considered the structural system like a element completely integrated to a others building component such as furniture or circulation in the house. It is a solid construction of load bearing walls and slabs with reinforced concrete located in the north and oriented in different directions. In the lounge its are replaced by the only only circular column for to allow the free plan. In the south, walls are replaced by a great beam – sunshade with a cantilever too. He proposes a house for the sensory experience. (this is a nice paragraph and I like the last sentence a lot)

The living spaces are defined by parquet floor and furniture which is built-in to articulate generating different spaces. In addition of this, the fireplace is symbolized symbolic, like a tower of brick from the exterior and so many details have been carefully designed, like the handrails that consist of a delicate only single piece of steel or lamps in the lounge, with a circular shade of glass.

Due to the service area are clustered in the rear third of the house, the services solutions are very simple and he uses furniture to conceal the plumbers. The roof pitch according to the climate and overlaps layers of roof to promote the fast evacuation shedding of rain water.

Ana Coronado Sánchez

Bench House is located in a valley of Havelland, closed to the Havel Lake, out beyond of Berlin`s urban core. Therefore track housing predominate in an area where predominates a fantastic valley views, rounded of lush vegetation. The plot is almost rectangular, faced to south-east with slope to The lakes. Thus, the house, which it has two levels, is located on the top of the plot, where it has the main entrance, and its arranged the whole program to gain the fantastic surroundings of valley.

The house was built for Felix Baench and the brief included the requirements for a little modern family with many different activities which had to be shared in the same space: a space to play piano, a space to work, two bedrooms, a Kitchen, a meeting room and a dining room. Its facts and to take the most of surroundings was the main priorities for Scharoun`s proyect. The main floor was approached like a fan, where different platforms was added to natural ground in each level and opened to the surroundings (to the south) providing the movement to the house.

In each one is located different functions, and its are joined by the stairs:

On the top level, study – reading room, to the north, kitchen, to the east and finally the dinning room, which is a little and half open room that see to the landscape. It has big windows despite. It has cantilevers and a great deal of vegetation that covers the house. Thus, the light is filtered through the trees and seeps into the rooms. In the office, the light of north is introduced to the space through light streaming. On the low level is the lounge, thought like a relaxing area for to see the landscape and to play the piano. On the second floor, bedrooms are located. Its contain a great terrace over the lounge level.

In Baensch House, the exteriors are as important as the interiors. In fact, Scharoun thought the organisation on the plot like a promenade architectural. The experience could begin from the interior of the lounge, from the dinning room or from the terrace in second floor, where you can experiment the landscape. It continue on the path, though the different platform of the garden until to reach the low of plot.

Scharoun, as a modern architect, thought carefully the structural system like a element completely integrated to a others building component such as forniture or circulations in the house. It is a solid construction of load bearing walls and slabs with reinforced concrete located in the north and oriented in different directions. In the lounge its are replaced by a only circular column for to allow the free plan. In the south, walls are replaced by a great beam – sunshade with a cantilever too. He proposes a house for the sensory experience. The living spaces are defined by parquet floor and furniture is built in generating different spaces. In addition of this, fireplace is symbolized like a tower of brick from the exterior and so many details has been carefully designed, like the handrails that consist of a delicate only piece of steel or lamps in the lounge, with a circular shade of glass. Due to the service area are clustered in the rear third of the house, the services solutions are very simple and he uses furniture to conceal the plumbers. The roof pitch according to the climate and overlaps layers of roof to promote the fast evacuation of rain water.

Ana Coronado Sánchez