On a small leftover parcel in Breitbrunn am Ammersee near Munich, BUERO WAGNER created a strikingly compact residence in 2018. The Black House sits between an office building and a 1980s single-family home. With just 85 square meters of usable space, the two-level structure embraces minimalism in both form and material. Its charred-wood façade gives it a distinctive character and a sense of independence.
Address/Directions
Das Schwarzes Haus
Zugspitzstraße 18
82211 Breitbrunn am Ammersee
Directions
“We didn’t want the house to follow the language of the neighboring buildings, but rather respond to the site’s topography—so that it would be perceived as an autonomous structure.”
While densifying cities has become a common architectural challenge, BUERO WAGNER applies the concept to a rural context. Instead of contributing to urban sprawl, the compact Black House demonstrates how infill development can enrich even small-town landscapes.
The sharply defined volume stands apart from the surrounding vernacular. Its dark façade, clad in vertically mounted, carbonized timber, asserts a clear architectural intent. The ground floor houses the living and dining area, while the lower level—embedded in the slope—contains bedroom, bathroom, and guest bathroom. The interplay of two interlocking volumes accommodates the site’s elevation: a flat-roofed cube forms the entrance, while a gabled structure opens toward the garden.
The interior reflects the same minimalist ethos. Exposed concrete surfaces are ground and sandblasted, creating a tactile quality. These are paired with untreated oak floors, built-ins, and an open staircase. Thanks to the sloping terrain, ceiling heights vary from one space to the next, producing layered zones that overlap in use.
The northwest corner features large pivot windows that blur the line between indoors and out. When open, the glass wings extend far beyond the façade, giving rhythm to the terrace and inviting nature into the space.
All fittings, fixtures, and accessories are rendered in deep black. This deliberate restraint highlights the natural textures of wood and concrete while creating visual consistency. For the door hardware, the architects selected the purist FSB 1076 lever in black-anodized aluminum, paired with FSB 1035 rosettes. The ability to tailor surfaces and finishes gave BUERO WAGNER the flexibility to align every detail with the house’s material concept.
Energy performance and environmental integrity were also key. The raw concrete mass acts as a thermal storage medium, with underfloor and wall-integrated radiant heating. The charred-timber cladding—based on the Japanese technique of shou sugi ban—was oiled for protection, making it water-resistant and naturally resistant to fungi, without the use of chemicals. Pale wood-framed windows offer a deliberate contrast, contributing to the house’s strong visual identity.
All fittings, components, and fixtures were finished in a subtle black.
This allows them to defer to the restrained material palette of raw oiled oak, exposed concrete, and the charred facade.
