Project: Bredeney House
Architects: Alexander Brenner Architects
Location: Essen, Germany
Photography: Zooey Braun
The Brucker Holt District in Essen was constructed in its present form n the 1960s. On the clearing formerly used for agriculture, flat, sedate villas were constructed on extensive properties in those days and were characterised by one conspicuous feature: they all have generous front gardens without any encircling hedges or fences. Only later, the more than head-high evergreen hedges and fence systems were added.
The Bredeney House with its generous driveway in an open, semi-public front garden, however, takes reference from the partly still existing 1960s houses. A separation from the public space is only achieved by the level of the house itself.
As regards its modesty, the large, lying building is to a greater extent also oriented by earlier buildings in this quarter. It rather sees itself as a manifesto against the much too extensive arbitrariness of today’s »villa architecture«. The house would like to be a sedate and timeless urban component, which appears in full sunshine as well as under the moon’s blue clarity as if it has always been there.
The interior programme of the residence follows the wishes expressed by the residents and naturally rests on the existing topography. A hall connects the 4-metre high ground level accommodating the kitchen, the dining and living areas to the wing with private rooms. The parents’ area is located half a storey above the living level, whereas the children’s realm and the guestrooms are situated half a level in the opposite direction.
All occupied rooms open up towards the garden via their inner corner, which is in the eastern section crossed by an oblong terrace. A simple cubic garden pavilion with transparent sides facing the house and the garden acts as a terminus of the terrace and adds an architectural corner point to the outdoor area.
