HOUSE IN NO MAN’S LAND

Type: Residential, Emerging Technology, Sustainability

Location: Seeland, Germany

Client: Private

Collaborator: Christine Lara Hoff

Photo Credit: Pujan Shakupa

Video Credit: Stark & Shakupa

Completed 2020

Longlisted Dezeen Sustainable Building Category

‘House in No Man’s Land,’ a renovation of an East German farmhouse, reflects the history and dichotomy of East and West Germany, showcasing sustainable technology in contrast to traditional building techniques. Architecture from the GDR often reflects the Zeitgeist of turning inward. Due to limited building resources, residential architecture was often marked by a smaller ratio of solid to glass and the use of concrete plaster to cover traditional brick facades. This helped mitigate heat loss, and in the case of ‘House in No Man’s Land,’ even the front door was removed and replaced with a slot window. Post-reunification, many of these villages in East Germany are still lacking in infrastructure, providing a unique opportunity and necessity for sustainable energy systems.

This net-zero house pairs geothermal with an innovative solar PV panel to generate all of the energy the house consumes. Through a collaboration with a German solar company (Solteq), an integrated solar roof was created that treats solar as a material, as opposed to an ad hoc attachment, reflecting the future possibilities of this technology. By restoring the original brick façade, the traditional openings on the north are contrasted against the more contemporary façade which takes advantage of the farmhouse’s southern exposure. The interior layout was opened to create a free plan, restoring and showcasing the restored traditional “Fachwerk,” or German mass timber structure.