Press release
April 2015
Private home with integrated office in Brettheim
Intelligent transparency
Christine and Matthias Polsfut developed an integrated
solution which couples expedience with comfort and the
highest level of energy efficiency for their combination of a
private home and architectural practice. The transparency
of the building envelope, which was created with highly
thermally insulated window, façade and sliding door
systems from Schüco, characterises the design and
defines the light, modern and functional quality of every
area of use.
The clients and developers wanted to create a simple, linear
property in the Bauhaus style at Rot am See-Brettheim. The
community located in a new development project on the edge of
the Schwäbisch Hall municipality in Baden Würtemberg offered
an attractive piece of land with an unobstructed view of the
surrounding landscape. The objective of careful consideration
and planning work was to create a property there which, despite
differing requirements, assigns equal importance to the
functions "Living and Working", without one area dominating the
other.
Functional separation by staggering the levels
The staggered floors naturally adapt the property to the slight
hill of the chosen location. The basic cubic structure of the
section of the building intended for family life is extended and
diversified by the offset office floor in the basement below. The
double garage and equipment room form an additional singlestorey cubic module, the corner of which is joined to the main
house. The separation between the living and work areas is
Further information about publication:
Schüco International KG
Ulrike Krüger
Karolinenstr. 1–15
33609 Bielefeld
Tel.: +49 (0)521 783-803
Fax: +49 (0)521 783-950803
E-mail: [email protected]
www.schueco.de/presse
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also evident in the materials of the building envelope. Whilst the
living area is defined by white plaster, the garage and office
boast aluminium façade cladding in the same colour as the
window profiles.
The playfully staggered levels are a special design feature. The
living area on the ground floor was built 45 cm higher than the
adjoining dining area. This offset reduces the room height from
2.8 metres to a "cosy" 2.3 metres. Above all, however, this
enabled the office area to be lifted to a more pronounced
position out of the ground, allowing the façade of the office to
be fitted with large ribbon windows to achieve maximum natural
light penetration. In front of the living and dining area of the
ground floor, the offset of the floor continues onwards to the
adjoining easy-access terrace and roof garden zones.
Corner panoramas
The clients responded to the desire for maximum light
penetration and the best view of the surrounding landscape by
designing the building envelope to have numerous light
openings. The strict southern orientation of the building resulted
in the largest glazing being installed on the east and south
façades. The window surfaces incorporate corners on all three
levels. Viewed from the inside, the profile-free design in the
form of all-glass corners reveals a broad panoramic view of the
surrounding natural environment. Viewed from the outside, the
building structures exhibit either wide or narrow horizontal
indentations which provide a visual break to the strict basic form
by lending an asymmetry to the surfaces.
State-of-the-art system technology for transparency
without losses
Sustainable heating technology, the use of photovoltaics as well
as the regulated ventilation of living areas with heat recovery
and geothermal heat pumps attest to the determined approach
towards sustainability in terms of building technology. The same
consistency was applied to the choice of energy-efficient
materials and systems in the building envelope. The consistent
use of highly insulated window and façade systems from
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Schüco with triple glazing ensures that transparency does not
entail any loss of energy. A uniform appearance of the
transparent components has been achieved by means of the
different system families, irrespective of whether it be fixed
glazing with the Schüco FW50+.HI mullion/transom system or
opening units with the Schüco AWS 75 BS.HI window system.
The Schüco ASS 70.HI sliding door unit is a system highlight.
Its guide track, which is flush to the floor, allows easy access to
the terraced areas and in the summer months removes the
boundary between the inside and outside.
The combined residential and office building in Brettheim is
virtually a zero-energy house, whose balance only slips into the
negative due to the energy-intensive offices with their artificial
lighting and computers. Even taking the electricity consumption
of the office floor into account, the building still produces around
80% of the total energy it consumes. And according to the
clients it is a light, comfortable place to live with exciting views
for the family as well as an attractive and functional working
environment for the employees of the architectural practice.
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Schüco – System solutions for windows, doors and façades
Together with its worldwide network of partners, architects, specifiers and
investors, Schüco creates sustainable building envelopes that focus on people
and their needs in harmony with nature and technology. Windows, doors and
façade solutions from Schüco meet the highest requirements in terms of
design, comfort and security, whilst simultaneously reducing CO 2 emissions
through energy efficiency, thereby conserving natural resources. The
company and its Metal and PVC-U divisions deliver tailored products for
newbuilds and renovations, designed to meet individual user needs in all
climate zones. Everyone involved is supported with a comprehensive range of
services at every stage of the construction process. With 4800 employees and
12,000 partner companies, Schüco is active in more than 80 countries and
achieved a turnover of 1.425 billion euros in 2014. For more information, visit
www.schueco.com
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Project details
Title of the project: Family home with integrated architectural
practice in Brettheim
Architect: Architectural practice of Matthias Polsfut, Rot am
See-Brettheim
Metal fabrication work: Beisser Elementebau GmbH,
Feuchtwangen
Surface areas by storey:
Basement storey: 137 m² usable space (technical equipment,
hall, architectural practice)
Ground floor: 93 m² living space, 59 m² useful space (garage)
Upper floor: 89 m² living area
Construction type: Concrete basement storey; ground floor
and upper floor have 24 cm brick masonry with composite
thermal insulation system; all ceilings and the roof are made of
solid concrete.
Heating technology: Air-source heat pump, underfloor and
wall heating; regulated ventilation of living areas with heat
recovery and ground heat exchanger; photovoltaic system on
the flat roof (6.96 kWp).
Completion: May 2013
Schüco products
Schüco AWS 75 BS.HI window
Schüco ADS 70.HI doors
Schüco ASS 70.HI sliding door system
Mullion/transom façade: Schüco FW50+.HI
Special features
Guide track of the Schüco ASS 70.HI sliding door unit is flush to
the floor
All-glass corners for the glazing which runs around corners
Triple insulation glazing throughout
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Schüco system profiles with anodised surface, colour: C31
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Picture credits: Schüco International KG
Southern view of the family home in Brettheim: By offsetting the
floors between the living and dining areas on the ground floor,
the office in the basement could be lifted further out of the
ground to achieve maximum light penetration.
View from the east: Above the offices with their large ribbon
windows, large terraces as well as a roof garden adjoin the
living and dining areas.
View from the north-east: The building has more of a closed
aspect to the north, thus reducing potential heat loss.
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The offset of the floor between the living and dining areas is
continued on the outside. The terrace can be reached from the
dining area through a Schüco ASS 70.HI easy-access sliding
door unit.
Detailed view of the sliding door guide track, which is flush to
the floor.
The slender guides for the concealed electric lightweight metal
external blinds are connected to the Schüco system profiles
with spacers.
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The evening view reveals the significance of light and
transparency, which defines the design. The Schüco FW50+.HI
mullion/transom façade was used alongside the Schüco AWS
75 BS.HI window system. All light openings are equipped with
triple glazing.
Favourite place: The open kitchen / dining-living room area
offers an unobstructed view across the terrace and roof garden
into the natural environment thanks to room-high, slimline
profiled glazing.
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Picture credits: architekturbüro-polsfut.de
Ground floor plan
First floor plan
Basement storey plan
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A-A and B-B section details
Section detail
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