Hubschmitz
Architekten Joenne Hub
Lübeck
Architekten GMBH
Zürich
YouTube Video
We introduce ourselves
J: Our very own theme is that we dive in conceptually into the thing for which we are building. If I build an elephant house for a zoo, I have to deal with elephants.
M: On the one hand, you have to make maximum use of the land, build the largest possible buildings, which means that you have to build bay windows and eaves, and the challenge for me is to make the most of those bay windows, and those eaves, so that it doesn’t look as if they just happened, but rather as intended.
J: I also believe that the clients pay us to create something new, not what they already know. Ideally, when the collaboration between the architect and the client is good, then at the end there is a new building laden with stories. We all need stories, we love stories, we want to be able to tell something. And for the client, when he shows people the house, he can say, look here, the floor reacts to the corners of the house. In all rooms, the floor graphics represent the angular geometry of the room. We are creating something completely individual; each and every stone slab has its own place, no slab appears twice, and that's one of those stories again. With such a high-quality building, we wanted it to be not just beautiful, it had to have content. (points to the left, looks upwards) Here in the dining room come built-in cupboards, which, just like in the other rooms, will have a veneer, which again also exactly represents the room and floor graphic. We follow the principle throughout. We have an interdisciplinary transparency of different layers that we superimpose, which moves from one room to the next. For me that is not an exclusive feature of high-quality architecture, in terms of cost, but it is for me a general feature of architecture, how we want to make it with the client, how we want to design it together. A client can come to us and say, we have 300000 €, and we somehow reach a space concept of about 100 square meters of living space, a small house, we can do that, stories come into play, it will be nice when the house is finished, it is their house and their house only.
M: It is a kind of artform to develop such a project, where the parts repeat, without looking boring, but where something happens, a change arises, and I realised that already with the competition in Bülach, to integrate it into the urban planning, on the one hand is a large form, it is a large block, and on the other hand it is fragmented. We have taken out the corners, we have single storey areas that step up over three storeys and then four-storeys, in this way we can mediate between the large block across the street and the small-scale development further east.
Yes, I like big projects (smiles)
J: What I consider fundamental to our job is that we respect the clients' budget, and really, that we integrate it, respect it, that we obey it ... that is, we architects are also business people, we must be business people, and we as architects are trustees of the client. We must, and that is what we are payed for, approach it creatively, so that the house works, that we stick to the costs, that the house respects its surroundings, and then, in this way, we can ensure a sustainability where we can say:
The thing may well be a reflection of its time, but it is heading well into the future.
From project development to handover a building
Architectural conviction
HUBSCHMITZ architects stands for architecture that is embedded in its urban context, which not only respects the existing surroundings, but enhances and enriches them with timeless design.
So architecture for HUBSCHMITZ is never a matter of personal style, but rather focuses in all our work on the history and the circumstances of the place, on the requirements, wishes and budget of the client and on the needs of the future users.
We are guided by an attitude of modesty, discreet design and a practical approach to implementing our ideas; we attach the greatest importance to constructive, consistent, economical and ecologically sound solutions in every phase of our planning services.
In this sense we see ourselves primarily as loyal service providers and trustees, because it is only when we see all the prevailing conditions as an opportunity and rise to the challenges, making them our own and interpreting and tackling them with energy, that our work will have the desired success.
Service phases 1 to 5 from a single supplier
Whether it is a detached house or a multiple dwelling, a multipurpose hall or an office building: we carry out every building project with dedication and care. Every contract is a mission.
There is a rule, not only in architecture, that the volume of potential errors increases with the number of people who have to be coordinated. So we recommend approaching us as early as possible to discuss two elements: conceptual planning and how the planning itself is to be planned. Who does what? Once that has been settled, then the successful completion of the project can begin.
In order to provide our clients with full and integrated advice and support, we only offer our services in Phases 1 (identification of basic information) to 5 (construction planning), as defined in the German Fee Structure for Architects and Engineers (HOAI).
Small and medium-sized building projects up to the construction management phase
For medium-sized projects up to €5 million we also cover all service phases, so including Phase 8 (construction management). For small projects up to €1 million this is our recommended option, in fact.
Large projects
In order to have the greatest possible control over the quality and consistency of concept and implementation, we offer services up to Phase 5 for large buildings too.
For projects above €5 million and a given level of complexity we always work with specialists, however. We recommend cooperation with project managers and/or external construction managers .
Project development
Finally, although it actually comes first, we also provide project development services and have successfully completed several projects.
Examples of successful project development include the projects Siewerdtstraße, Riedgrabenweg, Männedorf and the apartment block in Volketswil.
A larger residential construction project is currently under development. We have put together a team that covers the entire range of services for the project, from urban planning and drafting the master plan through to the architecture of the residential units. The project will be managed by a cooperative, which is in the process of being established.
Houses in Zumikon, Switzerland
Direct contract, 2013
The project is currently under construction
Construction costs: approx. CHF 3 million each
Usable area: approx. 220 sq m each
Zumikon is a very popular residential area on the outskirts of Zürich, with good connections to public and private transport and easy access to schools. Its proximity to the city centre and the international Zürich Airport are a feature of its location. Attractive recreational areas around the Pfannenstiel hill provide a high quality of life.
Two detached, individually designed single family houses are being built here in Rebhusstrasse 21 in Zumikon – an attractive location with unrestricted views, in a very quiet area with good sun exposure, characterised by detached houses, trees and woods. The houses enable variable floor plans of up to 8 closed rooms, which can be adapted to the requirements of the individual buyers.
Our planning team is also responsible for the interior design of the houses.
Seaside Residence
Private commission, 2014
Details: on request
Visualisation: HUBSCHMITZ Architekten
Architectural service stages 2 to 7 and overall management: HUBSCHMITZ Architekten
Construction management: GKKK Architekten, Hamburg and HUBSCHMITZ Architekten
Companies involved (selection): Deutsche Werkstätten Hellerau (interior detailing and fit-out), Hamburg Design (lighting design), Pinck Ingenieure Consulting GmbH (services engineer), Fittkau Metallbau + Kunstschmiede GmbH (facades and skylight)
Awards / Recognitions:
- World Architecture Festival Finalist 2017: Future projects, house
- German Design Award Special 2019
Clients as a stroke of luck
The clients wished for a house that expresses its roots in the land and local cultural traditions, as well as courageously and self-confidently – while retaining discretion and modesty - looking for and finding its way into the present.
We consider ourselves lucky to also be in charge of the interior architecture and product design.
For further information about the project, please contact us personally.
House A
Large Single-family house type for a residential development in Schleswig-Holstein
Brief Description
Gross Floor Area: ca. 200m²
Useable Floor Area: ca. 140-150m² depending on configuration: Doubleheight space or 5th room
Building Costs: 320.000-400.000€
Visualisations: HUBSCHMITZ Architekten
All Project Stages: HUBSCHMITZ Architekten
This large single-family house type follows exemplary, contemporary interpretation of regional architecture.
The core construction, interior walls and ceilings, are to be executed in timber frame and solid wood construction, exterior walls either solid or in timber frame or solid wood construction.
Ecological and sustainable principles will be followed in the choice of building materials, with plastic and composite building materials being avoided as far as possible.
Detailed Description
Typehouse A is a large single-family house, which can be built in different configurations, for a new housing estate planned by us in Schleswig-Holstein.
Architectural concept: Double height space, yes, but later mayby no more? That's feasible.
The development aims to follow the model of "exemplary architecture". Accordingly, this type of detached house with its simple volume and gabled roof fits into the context of the East Holstein region. The design features which characterise the local architecture and which make up the regional building culture were interpreted in a modern way in different variations.
The living space is arranged on a rectangular floor plan over two levels. Depending on the budget and space requirements, it is possible to provide an double height space above the living/dining room, which can also be closed at a later date if the space requirements of the residents increase. This is considerably simplified by the timber construction method and can be planned in advance.
Construction Method:
The design of the Variations of house type A range from the classic brick façade to modern wood panelling and thatched roof. The resulting combination possibilities of the individual design features allow for individuality, resulting in a harmonious overall picture.
The interiors are characterised by a high degree of comfort and living quality. The surfaces consist on the one hand of clay building boards and clay plaster, which as a natural building material has a high moisture balance and high pollutant binding capacity, and on the other hand of wooden surfaces for the built-in furniture. The building project meets high ecological building standards, thus ensuring long-term healthy living and a positive effect on the body.
In accordance with our fundamental approach, care is taken to reduce plastics and composite materials as far as possible and, if possible, even to do without them. We are confident that budget-conscious building, up to a certain point and with a minimum quality standard, is not dependent on the use of synthetic windows.
Three variants can be selected for the primary construction of the building envelope, depending on the budget of the client. There is a choice between a timber frame construction, a multi-layered, ventilated masonry and a solid timber construction.
The interior walls are designed as solid wood construction, non-load-bearing walls and the installation walls as wood frame constructions. The ceilings can either be designed as wooden beam construction or solid wood, in each case with floating screed or as a composite construction.
The choice of construction materials follows a high standard of sustainability and a possible recycling of building materials by type.
The ecological balance sheet of the building thus fulfils current and future requirements in terms of the ecological "footprint" and the conservation of resources. The building project thus shows that a conscious architecture that integrates itself into the context can simultaneously exceed the currently high legal requirements for energy saving.
Further information on the project development will follow in the coming months.
House B
Spacious detached house with self-contained flat for a residential development in Schleswig-Holstein
Brief Description
Gross Floor Area: ca. 330m²
Usable floor area: ca. 200m²
Construction Costs: 320.000-400.000€ depending on the specifications
Visualisations: HUBSCHMITZ Architekten
All Project Stages: HUBSCHMITZ Architekten
House B is a spacious individual house type with a double height living hall, roof terrace and small guest flat in a restrained, timeless architectural language.
The interior walls will be built in timber frame and solid wood construction, while the exterior walls will be solid or multi-layered and ventilated.
The choice of building materials is based on ecological and sustainable criteria, with plastic and composite building materials being avoided as far as possible.
Detailed Description
House B is a large detached house, which will be built as an individual house type in a new housing development in Schleswig-Holstein, which we are planning.
Architectural Concept
The development shall follow the model of "exemplary architecture". Accordingly, this large detached house with its simple volume and gabled roof also fits into the context of the region of East Holstein. The design features that characterise the regional architectural culture were interpreted in a modern way with different variations.
Based on a square floor plan, the spatial concept is characterised by normal and two-storey room heights. This creates an experience of the levels and a relationship between the ground floor and the attic, which are vertically connected by the double storey hallway.
Construction Method
The exemplary approach to architecture is also reflected in a stone and wood composite construction: the outer walls are planned either as solid construction or as multi-layered, ventilated masonry.
The interiors will offer a high degree of comfort and living standards. The surfaces consist on the one hand of clay building boards and clay plaster, which as a natural building material has a high moisture balance and high pollutant binding capacity, and on the other hand of wooden surfaces for the built-in furniture. The building project meets high ecological building standards, thus ensuring long-term healthy living and a positive effect on the body.
In accordance with our fundamental approach, care is taken to reduce plastics and composite materials as far as possible and, where possible, even to do without them. We are anyway confident that budget-conscious building, up to a certain point and with a minimum quality standard, is not dependent on the use of synthetic windows.
Three options are available for the primary construction of the building envelope, depending on the budget of the client. There is a choice between a timber frame construction, a multi-layered, ventilated masonry and a solid timber construction.
The interior walls are essentially a solid wood construction, non-load-bearing walls and installation walls are timber frame constructions. The ceilings can be designed as wooden beam construction or as solid wooden ceilings, in each case with floating screed or as a composite construction.
The choice of building materials is based on a high standard of sustainability and the possibility of recycling the building materials according to type.
The ecological balance sheet of the house therefore meets both current and future requirements for the ecological "footprint" and the conservation of resources. The building project shows that modern architecture that integrates itself into the context can simultaneously exceed the currently high legal requirements for energy saving.
Further information on the project development will follow in the coming months.
House E
Large detached house type with atrium for a residential development in Schleswig-Holstein
Brief Description
Gross Floor Area: ca. 300m² einschließlich eines kleinen Innenhofs von ca. 7m² Fläche
Useable Floor Area: ca. 220m²
Construction Costs: from 650.000 to 800.000€
Visualisations: HUBSCHMITZ Architekten
All Project Stages: HUBSCHMITZ Architekten
House E is a timeless courtyard house type with a square floor plan.
The primary construction is conceived as a timber frame or solid wood construction, the outer walls as multi-layered, back-ventilated masonry.
The choice of building materials is based on ecological and sustainable criteria, dispensing as far as possible with plastic and composite building materials.
Detailed Description
The highly individualised single-family house is part of the new housing development planned by us in the north of Ahrensbök in the heart of Eastern Holstein. The building is impressive due to its symmetrical volume consisting of four sloping roof surfaces, either pitched or gabled roofs depending on the configuration, which merge to form a courtyard house. The resulting small atrium brings daylight into the depths of the house. The living rooms are arranged around this central courtyard.
The façade of the house adopts the brick as an element that characterises the regional townscape and, in conjunction with the pitched roofs, blends into the context. The house sees itself as a component of regional building culture with modern approaches. The intention is to create an atmosphere of meditative peace and focus.
The interiors impress with their high level of comfort and living quality. All surfaces are made of clay, a natural building material with a high moisture balance and high pollutant binding capacity. The project meets high ecological building standards, thus ensuring long-term healthy living and a positive effect on the body.
In accordance with our fundamental principles, care is taken to use as few plastics and composite materials as possible, which is why the primary structure consists of a solid wood construction with wooden connectors. The choice of construction materials is motivated by a strong sense of duty towards sustainability, ensuring that the cycle of production, use and possible recycling of the building materials is guaranteed.
The ecological balance sheet of the house fulfils current and future requirements for the ecological "footprint" and the conservation of resources. The building project shows that modern architecture that integrates itself into the context can simultaneously exceed the currently high legal requirements for energy saving.
Large Single Family House-type for a Residential Development in Schleswig-Holstein
Large Single Family House-type
Brief Description
Gross Floor Area: 200m²
Useable Floor Area: 160m²
Building costs: between 320.000-400.000€
Visualisations: HUBSCHMITZ Architekten
Work stages: all: HUBSCHMITZ Architekten
This large single-family house type in exemplary, location-specific architecture, interpreted in a contemporary way. Core construction in timber frame and solid wood, outer walls optionally solid or in timber frame or solid wood construction. Choice of building materials ecological and sustainable, avoiding plastic and composite building materials as far as possible.
Detailed Description
Type House A is a large family house type, which can be configured in a number of different variations for a new housing scheme planned by us in the Schleswig-Holstein, in North Germany.
Architectural Concept
The development will follow the model of "exemplary architecture". Accordingly, this type of single-family house, with its simple cubature and gabled roof, fits into the East Holstein regional context. The design features, with local characteristics which make up the regional building culture, were interpreted in a modern way for the different variations.
The living spaces are arranged on a rectangular floor plan over two levels.
Construction method
The design of the different variations of House Type A, range from the classic brick façade to contemporary wood panelling, and a thatched roof. The resulting combinations and possibilities for individualisation allow for distinct structures, while maintaining a harmonious overall picture.
The interiors are characterised by a high degree of comfort and quality of life. The surfaces consist of clay boards and clay plaster, which as a natural building material has a high moisture balance and binds pollutants, as well as wooden surfaces for the built-in furniture elements. The project meets high ecological standards, which guarantees long-term healthy living and has a positive effect on the body.
In accordance with our principles, we take care to reduce synthetic and composite materials as much as possible, and when feasible, even do without their use. We are convinced that budget-conscious building, maintaining a standard of quality, is not dependent on the use of plastic windows.
For the primary construction of the building envelope, there are three options to choose from, depending on the client’s construction budget. There is a choice between a timber frame construction, a multi-layered ventilated masonry, and a solid timber construction.
The interior walls consist primarily of solid wood construction, non-load-bearing walls and installation walls in timber frame construction. The ceilings can either be designed das wooden beam construction or solid wood, each with a floating screed or as a composite construction.
The choice of building materials is based on a high standard of sustainability and the possibility of recycling the building materials according to type.
The lifecycle assessment of the houses thus fulfils both current and future requirements in terms of the ecological “footprint” and the conservation of resources. The building project shows that modern architecture that integrates itself into the context can also exceed the currently high legal requirements for energy saving.
Further information on the project will follow in the coming months.
Competition, St. Gallen, Switzerland
Competition as part of competitive bidding
Project partnership with De Biasio und Scherrer Architekten, Zürich
Urban planning / housing estate structure
The new buildings are offset and loosely arranged following the natural slope of the land. The positioning and design of the new houses enable the existing meadows to flow through the estate between the detached buildings. A gap is deliberately left to the existing single-family homes, in order to create a setting that is defined as much as possible by the surrounding green spaces. A connection to the spacious open area in the west is maintained by careful defining lines of sight.
The green spaces around the buildings are linked with existing structures by the use of orchards that are typical of the locality and the wider landscape and by free-standing hedges. Local features are maintained and used as an important part of the design. All the footpaths are embedded gently in the grass. Access routes are clearly defined and reference the typology of overland roads. These footpaths and access routes are connected to the public road network and give the residents of the estate many different and direct ways to reach Bildstrasse and the recreation areas to the west
Access
Great importance was given to separating vehicle and pedestrian routes. Visitor parking spaces and the entrance to the underground car park were positioned well before the houses, enabling their immediate surroundings to be car-free. This makes the grounds particularly attractive, especially for residents with children. All the houses can be reached in a variety of ways with bikes, prams and wheelchairs.
Texture and materials
Brick and wood are used for the furnishings and outdoor furniture, which in combination with the flowering shrubs and decorative fruit trees creates a familiar, liveable atmosphere.
Competition, Founders’ Quarter, Lübeck
Open competition, submission 14 January 2015
Background
Destruction in the war and afterwards
In revenge for the German air raid on Coventry, the Hanseatic City of Lübeck was attacked by British bombers on Palm Sunday 1942. The air raid wrought a trail of destruction through the city, traces of which are visible to this day. It shows the path the aircraft took and stretches from the southern Cathedral area, across the central Town Hall and market square, through to the merchants’ quarter in the north-west.
After the war the area was rebuilt according to the new urban planning guidelines, which were intended to break up the medieval street plan that was considered cramped, dark and insalubrious, and not to repeat the original pattern of long, narrow plots between streets. The vision of an inner city built around the car also threatened the surviving buildings; a “brutal wave of demolition” followed, which led to the loss of a further 20% of the medieval buildings, so that only around 55-60% of the original structures are still standing today.
A new approach wins through
Not least thanks to the establishment of a public initiative, BIRL (Bürgerinitiative Rettet Lübeck) in 1975 and its commitment to preserving and restoring the remaining buildings, a new attitude won through in the 1980s, which ultimately also paved the way for the Competition in the Founders’ Quarter. Here the aim is not only to preserve the old structure of the plots, but also to define steep pitched roofs as a mandatory feature, in line with the predominant type in the old town, and to design the buildings as a main house with a side wing (at least on the large plots), again following the historical model.
Competition – the concept
Façades - in fashion then and now
Our design concept takes its inspiration from the blunt sobriety and verticality of Gothic façades and transforms them into a contemporary architecture. Strips of light material, concrete or limestone, set horizontally at the level of the storeys and flush with the façade, re-establish an equilibrium and hold the façades together.
Deeply recessed, narrow windows, all based on the same module, refer back to the narrow window hatches of Gothic gables in Lübeck’s golden age; they owe their abstract staccato to a contemporary approach. The windows can be arranged freely within a defined framework, as required for the rooms behind them. This gives a potential client the necessary freedom, which is offset by maintaining a strict height for all the windows. There is no attempt to deny the fashionable aspect of the façade – a reference to the structural elements that were fashionable at the time: blind arches, lancet, round and three-centred arches, horizontal cornices.
At their base the façades are intended to appear modest, even rather banal. Large windows, flush with the façade, compensate for a lack of natural light on the ground floor in the narrow street. The small house here is an exception: its façade on to the street faces north and protects the private, loft-style interior from excessive exposure to the street.
The ground floor of the middle house has a light plaster finish and the front door to one side – an allusion to the modifications that were made to the historic houses over time, when different uses and spatial preferences led to a redesign of the ground floor areas.
Red brick
A natural material – lively, light red waterstruck brick - is preferred for the façade. Its bright colours recall medieval bricks rather than the dark bricks used in the 19th century.
The buildings’ use was determined in line with the rules of the competition.
The big house is designed for commercial use on the ground floor, with space for the flexible installation of up to two apartments on each of the two upper storeys. At least the two upper floors in the roof are connected to form a maisonette.
The middle house has one apartment per floor and a maisonette on the roof level.
The small house is designed for a single owner-occupier and this is reflected in the façade.
Side wing
For urban planning reasons we propose a pitched roof for the side wing. The eves should be lower than would be the case for a flat roof, to avoid casting excessive shade onto the rear courtyard.
No prize, but then again ...
As in all competitions, not everyone can be a winner. Our design was rejected in the second round. But ultimately, and that is the main thing, it was important to have taken part, and the deserving winners submitted really good designs.
Looking back critically at our own entry, we can also say that a less geometric conceptual approach to reinterpreting the medieval pitched-gable house would have been less dogmatic and so better.
The dogma that “a contemporary design must always be identifiable as such” is now obsolete too, and the same applies to the supposedly infallible grid pattern. Get rid of it!
Architecture must always take a back seat to urban planning – especially in pluralistic times like our own.
Other projects, selection
Joenne Hub, Architect, before the establishment of HUBSCHMITZ Architekten:
Residential units in Niederbüssau
Preliminary design through to request for planning consent, construction management by third parties.
Lübeck, 2012
HUBSCHMITZ Architekten:
Multiple dwellings in Niobestraße
Preliminary design through to request for planning consent, construction management by third parties.
Lübeck-Travemünde, 2012/13
Joenne Hub and Marcus Schmitz
lead or project management as employees:
Modification, Altstätter Straße
exclusive modernisation work on existing building
Marcus Schmitz, preliminary design to construction management
Zürich, 2016
Rellstabstraße 8/10
exclusive apartment building
Marcus Schmitz, preliminary design, detailed design, planning
Zürich, 2013
Residential building, Blütenstraße
Joenne Hub, competition and detailed design
Marcus Schmitz, preliminary and detailed design, planning, graphic planning and photography
Zürich, 2011
Competition Stahltwiete, Stages 1 and 2
3rd place
Office and residential building
Reemtsma-Park
Residential units S und N, exclusive apartments
Joenne Hub, draft and construction for Helmut Riemann Architekten
Hamburg, 2005-2007
Columbia Hotel
Joenne Hub, competition and design
Marcus Schmitz, construction planning
Wilhelmshaven, 2005-2007
Multiple dwelling, Höhenring
Marcus Schmitz, preliminary and detailed design, planning
Zürich, 2004-2006
Reemtsma-Park
Conversion of office building into premium apartments
Joenne Hub, competition for Helmut Riemann Architekten
Hamburg, 2004