Haus Am See

Residential House for Carlos Zwick Architekten BDA

Ancient trees, the water and nature preserved terraces determined the concept of architect Carlos Zwick. Today, this passive house with its sustainable building materials integrates respectfully into its surroundings. The wooden windows connect the living spaces with the lake. The loggia seems to float above the water and a large maple tree grows through the living room. The large crowns of the ancient oaks and chestnuts take the modern tree house with its restrained wooden facade in their midst.

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Haus am See by Carlos Zwick

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Residential House by Carlos Zwick

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Carlos Zwick Haus am See

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Carlos Zwick Residential House

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Haus Am See Residential House Press Releases

Press releases for Haus Am See are now accessible in these languages: English.

Haus Am See Residential House Media Articles

Explore our ready-to-use articles on Haus Am See, available in multiple languages: Spanish, English, Chinese (Mandarin), Italian, German, Portuguese, Hindi, French, Dutch, Korean, Indonesian, Japanese, Russian, Turkish and Arabic (Standard), for your feature stories.

Unique Properties

The house on the lake also treats its protagonist – nature - with the greatest respect. Interior and exterior seem to merge with each other. The hundreds of years old trees live with the inhabitants of the house, they are present everywhere and one even grows through the house. The large crowns of the ancient oaks and chestnuts take the modern tree house with its restrained wooden facade in their midst.

Tags

passive house, german architecture, sustainable design, steel structures, house on stilts, lake house

Production Technology

The ceilings, floors and walls of the house are made of pine wood, and the thermal insulation is made of cellulose fiber. The facade is made of vertical narrow larch slats and the roof surfaces are extensively greened.

Design Challenge

Due to the large tree population on the property, the structure could not be erected with a normal tower crane. Instead, the entire building was assembled in sections using a telescopic forklift. A major challenge was the complete infrastructure: supply and disposal of water or wastewater with the necessary slope in the weight-bearing ceiling structure. For this purpose, the holes required for all pipes had to be integrated in the wooden beams and steel girders. As a result, each beam and each girder is unique.

Project Duration

The project started in 2016 and finished in 2020. In Potsdam, Germany.

Operation Flow

Despite the height of the living level, the loggia is nevertheless situated 8 meters above the water surface, making the lake ever present in the house. At breakfast time the users of the house already see gray herons and swans passing by at eye level and in the evening here and there you will see otters waddling through the shallow water. The heart of the house is the large kitchen-dining room, with a fireplace, seating area and a 7.5 m long olive wood table. Here is where the family with six children come together and enjoy their meals. The two big dogs, Schröder and Tilda, have also found their favourite spots here, where they spend hours warming their fur coats next to the lit fireplace. It seems as if all of the residents have arrived to their house by the lake. None of them wish to leave and they don´t need to for that matter, either. Nevertheless, even in the event that the circumstances of life should change, the architect already made sure there were possibilities: the house is designed in such a way that it can be divided into three units with ease. Perhaps they even start a really nice pensioner´s shared living community in the future, or even a multigenerational house.

Research

Nature, in the first place, is playing the star role in the draft of the architect’s house. The water had him captivated and he thought to himself, how can he places the interior and exterior as close to the lake as possible. The first drafts were quickly realized, Mies van der Rohes Farnsworth House as the inspiration. It would be a house which respected the nature by integrating it in its architecture. The age-old trees would remain untouched – this was clear from the beginning.

Inspiration

The architectural concept of the house pays tribute to the historical roots of the place. Without compromise, it subordinates itself to them without touching their essence. The structure floats above the terraces, respecting their space and form.

Image Credits

José Campos

Project Overview

Haus Am See Residential House has been a Golden winner in the Architecture, Building and Structure Design award category in the year 2021 organized by the prestigious A' Design Award & Competition. The Gold A' Design Award is granted to designs that demonstrate a high level of innovation and a significant impact on their intended audience. Recognized as a major achievement by the A' Design Awards, these designs are characterized by their visionary approach and the exceptional skill of their creators. Winners of the Gold A' Design Award are noted for their ability to push the envelope in art, science, design, and technology, delivering solutions that not only meet but exceed expectations. These designs serve as benchmarks for excellence, encouraging further innovation and inspiring future generations of designers.

Golden Recognition

Carlos Zwick was recognized with the coveted Golden A' Design Award in 2022, a testament to excellence of their work Haus Am See Residential House.

Carlos Zwick Press Releases

Explore the world of Carlos Zwick through our press releases, designed for media members to use freely and enrich your content. For immediate journalistic use: 1 press releases are available right now.

Haus Am See: A Modern Tree House Integrating Nature

Architect Carlos Zwick's passive house, a sustainable marvel, completed in Potsdam, Germany in 2020

Carlos Zwick Newsroom

Visit Carlos Zwick Newsroom for an inside look at exceptional design and award-winning projects.