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Houses • Graz, Austria Architects: Gangoly & Kristiner Architekten ZT GmbH

Area Area of this architecture project Area: 150 m²

Year Completion year of this architecture project Year: 2005

Photographs Photographs: Paul Ott photografiert

Text description provided by the architects. Essentially, the small house for two people consists of one living floor between fair-faced concrete slabs, which cantilever far towards the west. Its immediate environment is characterised by agriculture; the view over orchards, pastures and copses up to the Plabutsch hills west of Graz scarcely indicates the proximity of a large town. The cantilevering volume rests on a basement which is partly carved into the hill. The ceiling of this storey is both entrance and parking area, sheltered with a porch roof that is planted with greenery.

The wind screen on the roof terrace can be seen from afar, whilst the stairs inside, offering vertical access to the whole house and developped diametrically to the slope, can only be seen inside the house or from the slope. Glazed throughoutly and positioned slightly off-centre the staircase, sets the structure of the living area on the one hand and on the other, it creates a very special relation with nature by making it possible to experience weather and light conditions in the middle of the house.