Residential Home, Cologne

Beech tree greets Douglas fir

The host on the plot of the residential building in Cologne, which was planned by Bruncken Frett Architects and completed in 2022, is an old copper beech tree, which also plays a central role in the design. The house thus enters a dialogue with the purple-coloured foliage of the beech and blends calmly into the established neighbourhood, which was already involved during the planning phase. The two-storey building with its red clinker brick façade creates an unexpected spaciousness inside through its relationship to the outside space. Designed as a climate house, it utilises the natural conditions and allows plenty of light, but little heat, into the interior via generously glazed east and west façades. In summer, the copper beech provides shade and ensures transpiration cooling.

In the airy interiors of the simple and precise clinker brick building, 300mm wide, white-lyed Douglas floorboards in Select grading and room lengths of up to 7m rest next to polished screed, creating bright, cosy rooms. In the open-plan dining area, the table and bench made of Douglas furniture wood create an inviting place to be. The building, which was awarded one of the 50 best houses of 2023 by Callwey Publishers, clearly demonstrates that trust in bold ideas pays off and that the inclusion of nature ultimately inspires everyone involved - including the neighbourhood.

Architecture Bruncken Frett Architects
Images ©Viola Epler