architecture: caramel architekten
interior design: barbara sabine bovelino
like an unknown animal that seems to have been made of tetris shapes, haus p sits on the sloping plot in klosterneuburg and seems to gaze into the valley. the sculptural, homogeneous form is further emphasised by the façade of precast concrete elements.
the access from the street leads along the backbone-like longitudinal axis, past the garage and terrace, into the house, where it continues past the kitchen-diner, cloakroom and stairs down, until it fades out at the glass front of the living room with its breathtaking view of the danube lowlands.
only the orientation of the pool, which picks up a cross direction as a visual continuation of the lower covered terrace, interrupts the elongated form of the house.
the lower garden-access level holds two bedrooms, two bathrooms, a sauna and a small studio that opens onto the garden and the lower covered terrace. opposite the studio, on the other side of the terrace, the cellar slides into the slope beneath the garage.
depending on its orientation, the façade is open or closed. while on the west side, at the kitchen-diner and terrace, it opens up completely towards the pool and garden, on the east side it closes almost completely towards the nearby neighbouring house. here gill-like flaps direct the view towards the valley and create privacy in the living area. in strong contrast, half the façade on the north side of the living area opens up towards the unobstructed view of the valley. the impression of complete openness is reinforced by the frameless glazing, which continues as overhead glazing in part of the roof.
