This Wood Home and Treehouse Blend Indoors and Out
Wood and glass create a modern look for a home in Germany that’s grounded in nature and comes with a dream hangout space
Nestled in a large garden, this home near Hanover, Germany, zigzags through the landscape. Topped off with a treehouse that’s all grown up, it accomplishes its mission of blending indoors and out.
The planning of the treehouse and the residence went hand in hand. The treehouse, which was originally designed to be a tower integrated into the main structure, eventually found its place on the property as a remote “dream room,” Wenning says.
“The treehouse was actually the first step, which I drafted first. Then they asked me whether I could also take over their main house,” he says.
The treehouse was supposed to stand out from the natural background. The use of glass brings a lot of light inside — an approach Wenning uses in all of his projects. “What makes this project so special is the common aesthetic basis for both the main home and treehouse, and the matching makeup of both houses,” he says.
The treehouse was supposed to stand out from the natural background. The use of glass brings a lot of light inside — an approach Wenning uses in all of his projects. “What makes this project so special is the common aesthetic basis for both the main home and treehouse, and the matching makeup of both houses,” he says.
Proximity to Nature
Wenning was responsible for the structure, layout, rendering and execution of the main house, while interior designer Gabriele Ebert handled the home’s decor.
The exterior of the home is chestnut, the interior walls are paneled in larch and the floors are oak. The advantage of wood is that it insulates better than stone. “This solid wood house has additional insulation and therefore an increased insulation value,” Wenning says.
Three terraces, each facing different directions (west, east and south), give a hint of how closely the home is integrated with its natural surroundings. “We have a large garden toward the treehouse on the west side and a smaller one on the other side,” Wenning says. There is an outdoor shower on the south side and a sauna on the property as well.
Wenning was responsible for the structure, layout, rendering and execution of the main house, while interior designer Gabriele Ebert handled the home’s decor.
The exterior of the home is chestnut, the interior walls are paneled in larch and the floors are oak. The advantage of wood is that it insulates better than stone. “This solid wood house has additional insulation and therefore an increased insulation value,” Wenning says.
Three terraces, each facing different directions (west, east and south), give a hint of how closely the home is integrated with its natural surroundings. “We have a large garden toward the treehouse on the west side and a smaller one on the other side,” Wenning says. There is an outdoor shower on the south side and a sauna on the property as well.
Connection Between Indoors and Out
The garden does not stop at the house, but continues onto the slightly sloping roof. The house features large glass facades and an asymmetrical floor plan. “The idea was to avoid blocking out the outside,” the architect says.
There are curtains for privacy, but the neighboring property is far enough away that the house is shielded from view. “The house is nestled deep in this garden kingdom,” says interior designer Ebert. “We wanted to create a connection between the inside and outside.”
The garden does not stop at the house, but continues onto the slightly sloping roof. The house features large glass facades and an asymmetrical floor plan. “The idea was to avoid blocking out the outside,” the architect says.
There are curtains for privacy, but the neighboring property is far enough away that the house is shielded from view. “The house is nestled deep in this garden kingdom,” says interior designer Ebert. “We wanted to create a connection between the inside and outside.”
Nature as Part of the Home
“The message conveyed by this project is to live in the house and still be in the middle of nature,” Ebert says. “The architecture here is special. For my design, I had to orient around the lines, materials and lighting conditions. It was important to build tension in the wooden environment. We therefore decided not to use wood for the furniture.”
The sofas are grouped so the couple can sit together and look out over the garden. “The sofas are arranged in a gently curved line and thus mimic the flowing, organic forms and movement of the garden,” Ebert says. “This is how nature becomes part of the home.”
“The message conveyed by this project is to live in the house and still be in the middle of nature,” Ebert says. “The architecture here is special. For my design, I had to orient around the lines, materials and lighting conditions. It was important to build tension in the wooden environment. We therefore decided not to use wood for the furniture.”
The sofas are grouped so the couple can sit together and look out over the garden. “The sofas are arranged in a gently curved line and thus mimic the flowing, organic forms and movement of the garden,” Ebert says. “This is how nature becomes part of the home.”
Fluid Transitions
“Large, light-flooded rooms are an important part of my design,” Wenning says. “This concept, with the glass facades, allowed us to bring the green of the garden into the living area.” The basic layout provided for an open-plan kitchen. “There is a smooth transition from the kitchen to the dining-living room. The deeper you go into the house, the more private the rooms become,” the architect says.
“Large, light-flooded rooms are an important part of my design,” Wenning says. “This concept, with the glass facades, allowed us to bring the green of the garden into the living area.” The basic layout provided for an open-plan kitchen. “There is a smooth transition from the kitchen to the dining-living room. The deeper you go into the house, the more private the rooms become,” the architect says.
A closet separates the entrance area from the rest of the ground floor. The garage shares a wall with the house.
Many designs were exchanged and revised, new suggestions were discussed and compromises were made. “This is quite normal in the initial phase. The client always tried to understand our suggestions fully,” Wenning says.
Ebert likewise notes, “It is important to take time for the client and listen. As a guide for the color concept, I developed a 3D render with colors and materials. This allowed us to analyze, understand, support and implement the client’s needs with professional knowledge. So everything has been tailored perfectly to the client.”
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Ebert likewise notes, “It is important to take time for the client and listen. As a guide for the color concept, I developed a 3D render with colors and materials. This allowed us to analyze, understand, support and implement the client’s needs with professional knowledge. So everything has been tailored perfectly to the client.”
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House at a Glance
Who lives here: An older couple
Location: Near Hannover, Germany
Size: 3,013 square feet (280 square meters), not including the treehouse
Designers: Andreas Wenning of Baumraum (architecture) and Gabriele Ebert of Raumkonzepte Ebert (interior design)
Materials: Chestnut wood exterior, larch interior wall paneling, dark oak floor
“The radical thing is that the house is a purely wooden structure,” says architect Andreas Wenning. He is committed to creating exciting contrasts of wood, glass and metal in each of his projects. “In this residential building, the metal is actually somewhat more restrained, while the glass and wood are all more dominant,” he says.