CUBE - Interview

CUBE: The eyes of a house

CUBE - Interview

This article was published in www.cube-magazin.de december 2018.

- Daylight leads to positive emotions -

By Lea Kaufmann Owner of Fantastic Frank Germany

An essential, qualitative feature for good architecture is the light. Window openings play a crucial role here to secure the brightness of the apartments. In his book and film series „Grün kaputt“ („Broken Green“, the art historian Dieter Wieland already back in the 80s described windows as "the eyes of a house". By this he meant that in designing the façade the size, the format, the number, the rhythmic, often symmetrical distribution of the windows had to be taken care of in order to give good proportions to the façade. In the past, standing windows formats and perforated facades were preferred and it prevailed the idea of "more light through fewer windows". A prerequisite here, however, was that with smaller window formats the rooms were illuminated at least from two sides. This overexposure provided light for a longer period throughout the day. The light was varied by the use of rungs. This resulted in a lively play of light as well as shadows on walls and floors. Thats one reason why old buildings are so popular.

But it also becomes clear that light and brightness are two different categories.

Today, the focus in architecture is often on almost completely glazed walls. Facade elements with glazings from the ceiling to the floor are possible with today's glazing technology, since the thermal coefficient of windows can now match that of highly insulated walls. The aim of this facade design is an imperceptible transition from outside to inside. Nature and surroundings are virtually brought into the apartment. A shift in the value scales in favor of brightness has taken place here, and the light is supposed to penetrate into the depths of the rooms.

This approach is often underlined by the choice of furniture. Scandinavian furniture with its clear design language, light wood and pastel colors has a positive influence on the light conditions. They also contribute to a pleasant atmosphere.

Deliberately planned window openings and sophisticated interiors ensure well-lit rooms and trigger positive emotions among the residents - vitality through brightness, lightness and transparency.

In order to fulfill these design principles of Fantastic Frank, we strive for an early involvement in the planning phase of new construction projects - most recently in a project in Potsdam's Babelsberg district. A declared goal is to initiate high-quality designed architecture in order to significantly increase the sales opportunities.

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