April 26, 2024, 8:33 am | Read time: 3 minutes
In the race for the best residential building in Europe, numerous German projects also competed. The “Häuser-Award” 2024 was ultimately won by a duplex from Stuttgart, which stands on a unique site and already considers future use in its design concept.
This year marked the 21st presentation of the “Häuser-Award.” The project that triumphed in 2024 against international competition is a duplex in Stuttgart. The goal was to develop modern, appealing, and above all, sustainable ideas to create “houses of the future.” The result includes flexibly usable townhouses and innovative buildings in rural areas.
The Best Residential House in Europe
The Stuttgart architectural firm “Von M” won the “Häuser-Award 2024” with the duplex HS 77. It was built on a leftover plot in the state capital of Baden-Württemberg on a hillside. The jury was particularly impressed by the flexible floor plan, as both halves of the house are designed to follow the rising terrain.
“This is an excellent example of intelligent densification in an urban context,” the jury stated. Thus, the architect duo Dennis Mueller and Márcia Nunes prevailed in the Europe-wide competition and won the first prize of the award, which is endowed with 7,000 euros.
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Thinking of Tomorrow
The duplex by the young architectural firm from Stuttgart was so convincing that the couple also moved into one half themselves. What is particularly noteworthy is the location, an old wasteland in the middle of the city that was initially intended only as a garage site. However, with the project’s victory, it is now clear that the densification has been successful.
The future of the residents was always a focus in the planning. As they age, there is still enough space to install a personal elevator. And if the duplex is no longer used in a family sense one day, that won’t be a problem either: Thanks to a modular concept with built-ins and partitions, the house can be converted into a shared apartment or office if needed.
The Features of a Hybrid House
Book Released Parallel to the Award
Other studios from the Stuttgart area also developed “ideas for living of tomorrow.” For example, the straw bale house by Atelier Kaiser Shen, located in Pfaffenhofen near Heilbronn, was praised for its particularly ecological insulation and excellent energy balance, and was ultimately awarded a special prize (2,500 euros) by the jury: “The straw bale house is a reference for contemporary building in the village.”
Accompanying the award, Prestel Verlag Munich published the book “Houses of the Future” by architect and author Bettina Hintze. It presents all the winning houses as well as a total of 30 new and renovation projects from across Europe. It shows how clever planning can create or remodel single or two-family homes to live or work in them as long and sustainably as possible.