Cabin glamour

Many Munich residents dream about a holiday home on Lake Starnberg. Lampadius Schmidt Architekten have built just such a hideaway in the picturesque Alpine Foreland. In a slightly secluded location on a canal on the lake’s northern shore, the two flat wooden cubes blend in harmoniously with their environment and its characteristic fishing huts. Since a basement was out of the question, there is a small connecting structure housing the HVACR. For the developers this cube between the two sets of living quarters offered considerable advantages: Because no unwieldy technical equipment needed to be accommodated in the living quarters themselves, there is more actual living space. Moreover, the connecting structure acts as a protective wall, making living on the canal-facing side that little bit quieter.

By contrast, the wooden curtain wall façade is given a dynamic look by various diamond shapes. These are broken up by window cutouts of up to eight meters in width, some of them stretching from floor to ceiling and allowing plenty of daylight into the interiors. Here too wood is the dominant material, something which makes the open living quarters pleasantly warm and inviting, despite their limited furnishings. A degree of sophistication is achieved through the use of brass elements – from the switch panels to the cladding of the kitchen island and the fittings by Vola. “Our idea of timeless architecture comes from the synergy between sophisticated materials, uncomplicated lines and functionality. And in our opinion, Vola’s products reflect the same values, which is why we opted for them,” is how Christof Lampadius and Wieland Schmidt of Lampadius Schmidt Architekten justify their decision. Accordingly, the practical 121X one-handle mixer with its gently curving spout brightens up the kitchen. Framed by light fronts and dark work surfaces, Arne Jacobsen’s design is something to behold. Practical built-in elements such as pull-out work surfaces and tables allow for great flexibility and a smooth transition between living areas.

In the two bathrooms, as well, the architects have opted for Vola’s elegant one-handle mixers for the washstands, both the 121 version and its mirror-image, the 121X, with the operating handle on the right-hand side and the spout on the left. The T39 towel warmer represents a solution that is at once sculptural and functional; its heated elements come in varying arrangements and with different numbers of bars. The 2471-061 one-handle build-in mixer combination in the shower ensures that water comes out of the shower head or the hand shower as required. The range of spouts is rounded out by the SC10 bathtub edge spout for use when relaxing in the bathtub with its one-handle mixer and its retractable hand shower. It is one of the basic assumptions in Lampadius Schmidt Architekten’s work that accessories are essential to a harmonious overall appearance, which is why it was only logical to opt for Vola products, right down to the details in the bathroom, from the toilet roll holder to the A85 dual cistern push plate. (am)