COMPREHENSIVE, YET UNOBTRUSIVE

Originally, owner Kerstin Baldauf didn’t actually want to change anything. But when her husband expressed his desire for them to build their own pool and spa area, the ideas soon started flowing. The end result was an enchantingly minimalist and simple glazed extension whose unusual design concept makes it something truly special. Peace, quiet and relaxation – that’s what the owners were looking for. “We didn’t want a normal sauna area,” Kerstin explains. “In keeping with the uncluttered design of we were aiming for, we wanted the various rooms of our spa to flow into one another in seamless harmony.” This philosophy is not just reflected in the rooms themselves. All the visible parts of the architecture have been reduced to a minimum without impacting on comfort and convenience. “Wherever possible, we incorporated all the technical necessities into the interior design,” says Torsten Hentsch, the head architect on the project. Thanks to this approach, the aesthetic of the extension is characterised by calm, clear surfaces, which join the rooms together.

Smooth transitions

The most challenging part of the whole project was finding a way to combine the idea of a modern extension with the existing historic building. “Setting up a sauna area in what used to be a chilly storeroom and turning the basement into a bright space flooded with light – when you hear ideas like that for the first time, they seem like contradictions in terms,” Thorsten Hentsch continues. Now, however, the historic villa has provided the perfect framework for a pool and spa area that adds more to the home in terms of both functionality and space. The part of the villa that faces the garden now joins harmoniously onto the extension, while the new glazed wing takes the themes of the old building and reimagines them in a contemporary style – a true symbiosis of old and new.

Unrestricted views with cero

Kerstin Baldauf: “The large window elements provided the necessary shelter and security whilst at the same time acting as an open, transparent bubble for our spa area. Thanks to the slender window profiles, our view of the garden is almost completely unobstructed.” Right from the start, the couple knew that they wanted to use glass for the facade of their extension. “The key element of the architectural approach is the way the semi-basement opens out across a wide area onto the garden,” Hentsch continues. Ultimately, the cero sliding window won out as the best option for glazing the facade. “Finding a manufacturer who ticked all those boxes was a challenge. As such, we were especially delighted when we found cero. It turned out to be the perfect solution.”

And what do the owners themselves have to say?

“Our spa and pool area is a clear statement,” Kerstin Baldauf believes. “Working so closely with our architect has enabled us to build a modern extension that complements the existing building rather than contradicting it.” In order to achieve this goal, the designer and interior designer planned out every detail of the sauna carefully together with her architect, Thorsten Hentsch. “In the end, it is this collaboration – this partnership – that’s given us the perfect oasis of calm within our own four walls. Whenever we can, we start or finish off our day in our sauna area. The conversion has enriched our day-to-day life on a fundamental level.”