Robert Blaschke’s Ace in Karo
Knowing that the owners are named Karin and Robert, it doesn’t take much detective work to figure out why their elegantly simple home in the lush surroundings of Bergheim near Salzburg is called Karo. But Robert Blaschke’s connection to the house goes far beyond its name.
As a craftsman, designer, architect, and entrepreneur with roots in carpentry and his hometown of Leoben in Styria, he has a deep personal bond with the project—if only because he designed it himself. A natural choice, but ultimately a major misstep, as Blaschke now admits: “A total disaster—I won’t make that mistake again!”
The assumption that one could design and build their own home on the side, while juggling a busy architectural practice, quickly proved to be an illusion. The private construction site turned out to be just as nerve-wracking as for any other homeowner. “Since this project, I approach our private home clients in a completely different way,” says Blaschke, who ultimately gained a valuable lesson from the experience.
by the Architect Family Blaschke © Helge Kirchberger
LOGICAL: FORM FOLLOWS FUNCTION
And so, the house—by and large—reflects both his vision and way of life, as well as the raumbau philosophy, concisely summed up in a manifesto on their website, which opens with the declaration: ‘Architecture is a We.’
“Of course, even at home, I still notice details that I would have handled differently with more planning time,” Blaschke admits self-critically. “But unlike my colleague Günther Domenig, who spent 30 years building his house, I actually wanted to finish mine before facing the threat of divorce.”
Fortunately, the house—with its two terraces, a pool, and additional high-quality outdoor spaces—did not become a reason for separation, but rather a living embodiment of raumbau’s principles. At the core of these principles are functionality and lasting value.
“Instead of starting with the design of a spectacular, award-worthy building envelope, we always begin each project by questioning its functions,” explains Blaschke. “The answer to that defines the spatial concept, around which we then design the exterior—ensuring that it harmonizes with the landscape and surroundings while still making its own statement.”
POSED: THE QUESTION OF VALUES
The second question Blaschke asks for every project concerns the building’s future value: “Because, for most people, a home is by far the biggest investment of their lives, we always ask what its value will be in ten, twenty, or thirty years.”
It was partly this consideration that led Blaschke to train for and pass the exam to become a real estate trustee over a decade ago. “As a sought-after contractor for housing developers and investors, I simply wanted to understand how they think and be able to speak with them on equal terms,” he explains.
The days when he would dismiss cost-conscious clients as aesthetic illiterates and let design creativity run free without any profitability concerns are long gone. He often uses House Karo to illustrate how he thinks now: at 300 square meters, it’s deliberately sized for a family who could, by adding a single wall, convert the current two bedrooms into four in just a few days—one reason it will be easy and profitable to sell in the future.
That might come in handy when the 55-year-old eventually no longer has the stamina to maintain the meticulously planned outdoor area—a further core principle at raumbau.
REVEALING: THE HOME VISIT
This principle usually becomes clear to visitors of the house only when Blaschke explains it to them. And he does so frequently: “When potential private house clients want to know what they can expect from us, I simply invite them to our house.” The hospitable architect already knows how this typically goes: First comes the surprise at how quickly one feels at home as a guest in House Karo. Then, awe over details like the elegantly crafted metal window shading, which protects Karo’s interior from overheating and creates fascinating light and shadow plays on the walls and floor. Or the terraces, which can be enjoyed at different times of the day and year.
Finally, there’s an understanding of the fundamental intellectual framework of the house, the foundation upon which everything else is built. And last but not least, Blaschke’s offer and promise, which is: “If you trust us, we will build a house like this for you—one that fits your life, your family situation now and in the future, your possibilities, as well as your land and the surrounding area.“
The work of space architects ranges from hotels, business architecture and residential construction on a large and small scale to the design-award-winning kitchen block. raumbauarchitekten.at
Numerous articles worth reading can be found at raumbauarchitekten.at/presse, which provide insight into the work of the raumbauer and show Robert Blaschke as a considered and outspoken critic of the status quo and short-lived trends in residential construction.