Barcode Residence

Located in one of the outermost suburban neighbourhoods of Munich, Germany, this spacious villa stretches across two rectangular building plots to form a ‘barcode collage’.

The programming of the layout is determined by the daily routine of the owners themselves, and manifests itself in the addition of individual elements – stripes – that are designed to respond to the spatial demands placed on the plan by the interior functions.

The large, heavy volume is divided into ten sections, nine of which have been incorporated into the proposed building envelope. A curtain crosses over the 6 m-wide gap between the two envelopes and unifies the elements to form a single entity. The identity of each individual stripe is reflected in the materials of the façade and in the atmosphere of the interior.

The spatial configuration of the interior is based upon the classical concept of the enfilade. Still, the resulting shape comes from the sum of the individual parts. The interaction of clear, full-size spaces, which span the entire width of one barcode strip, combined with small side rooms – alcoves – that link these spaces, creates a vivid domestic environment: a balance between spatial openness and privacy. A prominent middle axis makes a spatial and visual connection between the sequence of elements and offers rich moments of voyeurism along the length of the villa.