Cologne Private Residence Award

The Challenge:
This bland, run-down semi-detached condominium building (exhibit 2-4) has retained none of its original charm from the 1930s: In order to convert it to a single family home, we need to start from scratch (i.e., tear down the existing structure and build a new one).

The new building needs to be somewhat contextual to its surrounding buildings and especially the adjacent building (see exhibit 5+6). This is a difficult task of balancing one's creative urges with the realities of the neighborhood and German building code.

Selection criteria (equal weight):
- Degree of innovation
- Fit with preferences
- Feasibility / Fit with requirements

Re-invent a semi-detached private residence in Cologne, Germany, very close to the Rhine river.
All it takes to participate is a few sketches and a brief description. This competition is open to everybody, not just architects and architectural students.
1st prize: 1000 $

Requirements:
- Max. three full stories *plus* basement (which is ground floor level to the street side) *plus* penthouse
- Max. area of 12,7 m x 10,8 in current position (see exhibit 1)
- Seamless transition to the adjacent gabled roof building (i.e., no space between both buildings, same floor height)
- Two carports will have to be integrated in the front part of the lot

Preferences:
- Enable full views to the garden in the south and the Rhine valley to the east. Balance privacy and sunset views to the street-facing north-west side.
- Fresh, sleek, modern, and clean (not ornate), yet timeless design
- Contemporary, but not after the latest fashion - No "über-styling", i.e. designs that are not attractive to the eye five years down the road
- Functions (rough guidance):
Starting from the top:
- Roof garden
- Penthouse: master bedroom + bathroom + (if feasible) private living room + terrace
- 2nd floor: two bedrooms + bathroom + (if feasible) gallery
- 1st floor (garden ground floor): living room + kitchen + guest WC
- basement (front ground floor): entrance + mud room + guest room + bathroom + storage rooms

FYI: The eave height on the street-facing north side is roughly 8.2 m and roughly 7 m on the garden side. The apex of the adjacent building is roughly 13 m high, but please note that this does not need to be the limit.

How to participate:
The purpose of this award is to collect fresh ideas, not to have something that will actually be built. Anything that visualizes your creative concept works: Rough sketches, Google Sketchup models, etc.
We are neither looking for detailed nor ready-to-build plans, just for a few fresh ideas that fit the lot. This is meant to be just the very first phase of a multi-stage planning, there is neither intention of actually building the winning design nor building it with the winning designer.

Timeline:
Please submit your draft by Friday, October 15th, 2010 on http://www.99designs.com
Winners will be announced as soon the project is closed.