Aerated Concrete Insulation. Walk-in Sculpture

The Stuttgart architect Alexander Brenner has made a name for himself with houses and villas. Now he has built his own house and used this opportunity for a few experiments.

Photos: Zooey Braun

In order to be able to do without insulation materials, which are often produced on a petroleum basis, the facade consists of 50 cm thick aerated concrete with insulating air pockets, which is hidden behind an outer shell made of 25 cm exposed concrete.

In the covered atrium, a circular ceiling opening ensures brightness. In order to give the incoming light a warm character, the round reveal of the glass opening has a gold-colored coating. The Keim design glaze was used, applied by hand with a rag. Because of the transparent binding agent water glass, the light rays hit the gold pigments unhindered and the result is a particularly intense color impression that would not have been possible with a dispersion paint because of its milky binding agent.

From the anteroom you can see the garage, the walls of which are also treated with the design glaze, but in copper.

The side kitchen, but also the guest toilet, surprise with walls that are completely dipped in gold using the design glaze, as do many other side rooms and the wine cellar. As with the other glazed surfaces, the metallic pigments, in interaction with the different substrates, develop a fascinating glow and play of colors.

Individually designed surfaces

For the walls, Brenner opted for lime plaster, partially colored through in different shades. The nuances are specially mixed according to his ideas from the company's own decorative color powders, whereby rather dark, earthy pigments were used. These were then mixed with the white lime spatula Athenit-Fino, so that soft, pastel tones were created. Freshly smoothed by hand, the plaster has a slightly cloudy surface.

Precise preliminary and detailed planning ensures that the effect of the carefully manufactured wall surfaces is not impaired by sockets, light switches or other disruptive elements - these are hidden in the built-in furniture.