One's own home in Berlin

We are currently obsessed with the above residential project in Berlin at Zelterstrasse 5, Berlin-Prenzlauer Berg. It's by the architecture firm zanderrotharchitekten and was completed in 2010. Here's the architect's description:

The building in Zelterstrasse consists of 23 townhouses, which are aligned to create a homogenous volume with 10 summerhouses behind it and 12 penthouses above it. In between, there is a large unplotted garden courtyard with a garage beneath it. The advantages of one’s “own home” while retaining the density of a residential estate add significance to the aspect of community. In addition to the garden, there is a rooftop terrace, a summer kitchen, a sauna and four visitors’ apartments, all of which additionally highlight communal characteristics. The separated, yet overlapping access to the building gives the project an additional village character in terms of its use.

What we love about it is the idea of trying to merge urban density with the traditional comforts of "one's own home." The result is something we would love to call home.

All of the images are Simon Menges via zanderrotharchitekten.