A place to breathe
A lakeside retreat – where relaxation finds a home
Lake views and the scent of pine trees – this holiday home sits on an 850 m² shoreline plot, turning the natural landscape into an integral part of the living experience. Designed and built by Albers Architects in the spirit of a Danish summer house, the structure presents a striking black timber façade that belies a luminous, welcoming interior. Soft whites and greys dominate the rooms, complemented by refined oak furnishings. The owner envisioned a pared-back interior that wouldn't compete with the magnificent scenery beyond the walls. To this end, expansive windows frame unobstructed views of the surrounding landscape. The outdoor lounge on the sheltered south side – nestled beneath a glass canopy – offers the same vistas, while operable glass panels in the living and bedroom areas dissolve the boundary between inside and out.
The open-plan kitchen and dining area, anchored by a fireplace and generous dining table, serve as the social heart of the home. An atrium spanning the living and dining spaces creates a sense of generous volume – no small feat given the house's modest 50 m² footprint. The site's sloping topography presented the first challenge, requiring the structure to work with rather than against the natural grade. The sandy soil's poor water retention capacity posed another hurdle in landscaping the grounds. The solution involved laying down 20 cm of topsoil and installing underground irrigation lines, transforming the constraint into a workable landscape.
Almost entirely timber-constructed, the building maintains a warm, comfortable climate year-round thanks to wood fibre insulation and wood wool. Triple-glazed windows further shield residents from seasonal temperature swings. The façade employs Nordic spruce – a custom specification from manufacturer Mocopinus – painted in deep black wood preservative. The result evokes Scandinavian dune houses: a unified dark envelope that conveys both shelter and a quiet dissolution into its surroundings, precisely as the client envisioned.
Photography Credits:
Stefan Gerth
(Featured in CUBE Hamburg 01|22)
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