Project Name: Set Houses with One Pillar

Location: Berg, Germany

Design Team: Buero Wagner

Total Floor Area: 660 m²

Completion: 2025

Photography: Kim Fohmann

Design Features:

Project - Located on the shores of Lake Starnberg, the Set Houses with One Pillar project redefines residential space concepts through radical structural simplicity. Comprising two nearly identical dwellings, each with a modest floor area of just 90 square meters, the project creates spacious living experiences through a unique single-pillar support system. The buildings' most striking feature lies in their structural audacity—each ground floor consists of one expansive space supported by only a single central column.

This engineering feat eliminates the constraints of traditional interior walls, creating fluid spaces where kitchen, dining, and living areas seamlessly merge. The central pillar serves not merely as a structural necessity but becomes a core design element—the kitchen worktop is cast directly onto the support column, transforming architectural components into functional furniture, embodying the perfect unity of structure and use.

The building facades are clad in charred timber, employing the traditional Japanese shou sugi ban technique that gives the architecture its deep black appearance. The carbonization process naturally protects the wood from weather and insects without requiring chemical treatments. Circular openings in the facade function like oversized portholes, providing framed views of the surrounding tree canopy from within while creating an expressive architectural face toward the street.

The project emerged from an urban densification strategy, replacing a single deteriorating 1950s building with two contemporary dwellings that accommodate three generations of the same family while preserving precious green space. Sustainability permeates every design decision, from recycled demolition materials to chemical-free carbonized timber facades, demonstrating innovative possibilities for environmentally conscious architecture.

The basement and partially underground ground floor are constructed of solid concrete, with surfaces sandblasted to achieve a "soft" texture and floors ground and sealed. The upper level employs solid wood construction in keeping with regional building traditions, creating an intimate atmosphere with warm surfaces and small-scale private spaces. The building is heated by an air heat pump combined with photovoltaic systems and concrete core activation.

These compact yet generous homes prove that intelligent design can maximize spatial impact while minimizing environmental footprint, establishing new benchmarks for sustainable suburban living through the marriage of structural innovation and material authenticity.

Design Team - Buero Wagner, founded in 2013 by Prof. Dipl. Ing. Univ. Fabian A. Wagner, has emerged as a pioneering force in contemporary German architecture, establishing a distinctive practice that harmonizes traditional building techniques with radical spatial concepts. Under Wagner's leadership, alongside key collaborators Louise Daussy and Edwin Hoffmann, the Munich-based firm has garnered international recognition for projects that challenge conventional typologies through innovative material applications and structural audacity.

The practice's architectural philosophy centers on the intelligent use of raw, unprocessed materials—particularly charred timber, exposed concrete, and weathering steel—creating buildings that age gracefully while minimizing environmental impact. Wagner's academic background, including his current professorship at Hochschule Kaiserslautern and prestigious Rome Prize fellowship (2022/2023), informs the firm's research-driven approach to design.

Notable achievements include multiple BDA awards, Archdaily Building of the Year nominations, and features in leading architectural publications worldwide. The firm's portfolio spans from intimate residential interventions to cultural pavilions, each project demonstrating meticulous attention to tectonic detail and spatial sequence. Recent works like the Single Pillar Houses exemplify their commitment to structural minimalism, where engineering constraints become generative design opportunities, establishing Buero Wagner as a significant voice in contemporary European architecture.