Ideal for multi-generational living: versatile architect’s house with annexe and large sunny garden

Ideal for multi-generational living: versatile architect’s house with annexe and large sunny garden

This spacious and flexible house is the ideal place for families seeking a carefree existence. From the beautiful garden to the basement rooms complete with a wellness area: the main house and the attached dwelling which make up this extraordinary property are of a quality which is hard to find. The tasteful and intelligently designed property, which was built in the leafy Berlin district of Lankwitz in 1972, is striking for its relaxed geometric form and the lively arrangement of its internal spaces.

The main building extends across 152 m² of living area, with five to six rooms distributed across three floors, including 3 to 4 bedrooms. From the street-facing side, the entrance hall takes you into the main hallway, where there is a staircase, access to the kitchen, the coat room with its separate toilet, and access to the generously-proportioned living area. This consists of two rooms connected by a large opening in the wall: the dining room, with an area of around 15 m², and the spacious 31 m² sitting room a few steps below, with a homely fireplace and a bright, conservatory-like extension.* The sitting room provides a wonderful view out across the 15 m² patio and onto the well-maintained garden with its lawn, shrubs, flowers, ornamental pond and mixed collection of trees, including mature specimens.

From the dining room, you enter a large room with two windows looking out onto the garden. This could be used as a bedroom, but could also be divided into two rooms. The upper floor of the main house comprises the bathroom, which easily accommodates a bath, and two bedrooms, which are flanked by a balcony which faces out onto the garden. The semi-basement of the main building provides a number of additional rooms. In addition to the boiler room, a workshop, a laundry room, and a pantry, a number of other features further increase the obvious quality of the house. These include the bathtub, the additional kitchen area and a large games room. The semi-basement has access to the garden via its own set of steps. At the front of the house, a heated garage with an inspection pit completes the list of amenities associated with the main building. Naturally, this could also be used as a workshop.

The spacious annexe of around 78 m² is also accessed from the entrance hall, from which one enters the annexe hallway. This provides access to the kitchen, the guest toilet, and the 24 m² sitting and dining area. The south-western side of this room opens out onto the 14 m² patio, with access to the garden. The single turn of the spiral staircase in the living room takes you to the attic, where there are two more bedrooms, a bathroom with a bathtub, and a balcony facing towards the west.

All in all, this detached house is in excellent condition. A little skilful intervention would bring the bathrooms and kitchens up to modern standards, but no modernising at all is required for the other rooms. The floors have been laid with parquet (living rooms and bedrooms), tile (bathrooms) and marble (entrance). The outside of the building was renovated in 2019, and the internal walls were repainted in April 2021. If the need arises, the floor plan and structural design of this property permit all sorts of possibilities for spatial redesign. For example, the annexe could be connected to the main house so that it could be entered separately from the outside via a set of steps and the patio as well as via a direct connection between the two buildings. Whether for grandparents, an au pair, or a student – the annexe has everything one would need in a comfortable home.

There is plenty of greenery in the 1,100 m² garden, but there is plenty more in the surrounding area too. With its many parks and sports facilities, Berlin’s southern district of Lankwitz is full of opportunities for rest and exercise. This is an area where everything is there to be had. A supermarket, a nursery school, a primary school and a secondary school are all within walking distance, as are the bus stop and the S-Bahn station. City West is a mere 20 minutes away by car, as is the Haupt-bahnhof (Berlin’s main railway station). The A100 urban motorway is just 10 minutes away.

*Planning permission for the addition of the conservatory-like extension to the sitting room was not originally granted, but a retrospective planning application is currently underway.