AUF MONT 43
ARCHITECTURE COMPETITION | | | | | BRIEFINGWE WANT YOU TO DREAM UP OUR FUTURE HOME!
We are calling for submissions from international architects for an invitation-only design competition to build our future home in Wincheringen, Germany. It is our intention to build the winning design proposal.
We ask you to convince us of building our future home on top of a hill with an incredible view of the picturesque Mosel River and its stunning vineyards. Go to the briefing!
We are a young married couple and our two dogs. My name is Jose da Costa, I’m 36 years old and a little overweight. I was born in Portugal, and I’m currently residing in Luxembourg. My wife is Lucy Pereira, she’s 153 cm tall, cute, and also a Portuguese citizen living in Luxembourg. Our two dogs are beagles and respond to the names of Costa and Napoleon.
After years of searching, we have finally discovered and acquired a wonderful piece of land on top of a hill, with a breathtaking view of the Mosel River and its beautiful vineyards. The size of the property is 1.106m2 and is located in Wincheringen, Germany, right across the Luxembourgish town of Wormeldange. The property has the number 43 and is part of a housing community called “Auf Mont”.
We are calling for submissions from international architects for an invitation-only design competition to build our future home in Wincheringen, Germany. It is our intention to build the winning design proposal. As much as possible this will be a paperless, web-based competition; all entries must be electronic. All the important information and documents related to this competition will be posted on jeedeecee.com under “AUF MONT_43”.
OBJECTIVESWe ask you to convince us of building our future home on top of a hill with an incredible view of the picturesque Mosel River and its stunning vineyards.
Click to view Wincheringen on Google maps.
We want to fall in love with our future house. We like it to be simple, cozy but breathtaking. We ask you to produce a creative, innovative design that is inspired by the challenges of sustainability in housing. The house will also be home to our two dogs and their happiness needs to be taken into consideration in the design process. As we are all facing a global financial and economic crisis, the budget of our future home and garden is limited to 400.000 €.
CONCEPT“Is inner beauty the real beauty?”
Looking at our house from the outside, you should not be able to see or imagine the beauty that exists inside. Only when you step inside will you discover the beauty that’s been hidden from you. Entering the house should be a major transitional experience that encourages reflection, meditation, admiration, and perhaps could include a pleasant surprise that sparks the imagination. The culminating point of this preliminary journey of discovery should be the “mise en scène” of the amazing view of the valley and its vineyards. It would be awesome to be able to enjoy the incredible views from a maximum of places within the house. Security and safety is also an important criterion to keep in mind.
During the cold and gray months of late fall and winter (November – February), when nature takes its beauty sleep, it is important to enjoy the warmth, beauty, and coziness of a sky-lighted atrium space. During these cold months this space should reflect the axiom “inner beauty is the real beauty” and become the focus of our social interactions (dining, chilling out, partying), bringing people together at night after the sunset has closed the view over the valley.
The architectural style should be simple, perhaps minimalist, but the ultimate goal is to create a sense of place, a place where you want to belong to, where you feel at home. We have two beagle dogs that love to run around all day long. In conceptualizing the design it is important to take this into account for two reasons:
The dogs are left alone for several hours when we go to work. It is important to allow them to run freely around the garden throughout the day. Nevertheless, when they are tired or need water, it is important to think about building a covered space, annexed to the main house, where they can rest until we come home.
We like to go for long walks with them, and they love to run around muddy fields and humid forests. Coming home after these “dirty” walks it is important to think about a “buffer” space before entering the main house that allows us to clean them up, stock all their gear, as well as our coats and dirty shoes. This space is also important for us to get “cleansed” after coming home from a long day of work.
DESIGN REQUIREMENTS
The goal is to design a single dwelling house and garden space which will form part of a larger residential development situated in Wincheringen. (www.aufmont.com)
Entries are also expected to address all specific issues relevant to sustainability in the individual home.
The design should be based upon the following specifications:
> Plot size: 1.106 m2 - (27 m x 40 m). The topography of the site has a difference in height of 10 m between its extremities. (see topographical plan)
> A flat-roofed two storey house of 180 to 220 m2 living space.
> A garage for at least two cars and a lot of storage space.
> A roofless parking space in front of the house is also necessary for the cars of our friends when they visit.
> A “buffer” zone/space to clean up ourselves and the dogs before entering the house. This space should also be used for our coats and shoes, as well as the dog’s gear.
> A central sky-lighted atrium space that can serve as dining, chilling out, partying area during the cold winter months or throughout the year.
> A big open space that includes the kitchen, dining area, living space and connects to the terrace/garden. This open space could contain the atrium space instead of the dining/living room. A nice fireplace should be included.
> 1 master bedroom with connected bathroom and dressing.
> 2 guest rooms with an adjacent common bathroom.
> 1 study room.
> A flat roof that can be planted to retain rainwater. The roof could also be used as a nice space to invite friends for barbecues and chillout sessions while admiring the sunset.
> 1 toilet in the ground floor to avoid going to the main bathroom.
> 1 Laundry room.
> We would like to avoid radiators and use floor heating in the house.
> 1 technical room to contain the boiler, electrical panels etc.
> A garden that is human as well as dog-friendly but closed off on all sides, so that our dogs cannot escape.
> Optional (depending on space availability and budget): A sauna (10 m2) with a view of the valley, an external shower and an adjoining pool (max. 10 m2) to cool off.
THE JURY
The jury is composed of two people: Lucy Pereira and José da Costa.
Please know that we will be subjective in our decision-making. We are not a public institution, nor do you have to convince a big panel of aged people with a stiff upper lip.
Our emotions will dictate our choices. You will be talking to our hearts and occasionally to our brains, but at the end we want to fall in love with our future home. After traveling the globe, after residing in different countries and cities, we have decided to lay down our roots on this wonderful piece of land.
Thus, our future home has to become a love affair.
