Friedrichsruhe半独立式住宅丨德国

Architects:Florian Nagler Architekten,larob. studio für architektur

Area:920m²

Year:2025

Photographs:Sebastian Schels

Manufacturers:KEIM,Erden,Lithotherm,Mayr-Melnhof Holz,VIA Material

Category:Residential Architecture,Houses

Design Team:larob. studio für architektur, Florian Nagler Architekten

City:Friedrichsruhe

Country:Germany

Text description provided by the architects. In Friedrichsruhe, where open farmland meets gently wooded hills, a country house has been built as a pair of connected homes. The layout and overall appearance of the buildings — including the main houses, garages, and boundary walls — take inspiration from a nearby historic farmstead. With very simple means, a strong sense of space and atmosphere was created. The main idea was to design a house that works on its own terms, without complex technical systems, without constant regulation, and without the need for ongoing adjustments.

A house that relies on materials that have proven their value over many generations, and on clear, straightforward construction. The structure is mainly made from solid timber panels of untreated spruce. Walls, ceilings, and roof surfaces create a calm and bright interior character. All surfaces remain visible; nothing is hidden behind cladding. The feeling of the rooms comes directly from the materials themselves.

On the ground floor, this idea is continued with walls and floors made from clay. These surfaces store warmth, balance indoor humidity, and reduce noise. As a result, the rooms stay pleasantly cool in summer and comfortably warm in winter, without any extra effort or technical control. Clay and wood work together as complementary materials: one heavy and grounded, the other light and warm.

The rest of the building follows the same simple approach. Floor layers made from volcanic stone, together with underfloor heating, quietly support a stable indoor climate. Technology is kept in the background and follows the architecture, not the other way around.

Hot water is produced locally where it is needed, and all installations remain accessible and easy to understand. The building services are clearly arranged and can be adapted or changed in the future without major intervention. The windows are carefully sized in relation to each room. Daylight and solar heat are balanced rather than pushed to the maximum. Because of this careful proportioning, no external shading devices were needed.

The house regulates itself through its orientation, its solid materials, and its overall proportions. From the outside, the buildings are clad in pre-weathered timber and covered with traditional clay roof tiles. The form is familiar and calm, the appearance modest, but the construction is precise and well considered. The building fits into its surroundings without copying them. In this way, a house was created that is durable because it is simple, robust because it depends on materials rather than on technical systems, and sustainable because it adds very little beyond what is truly necessary.

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