Bliesgau House in Germany takes cues from agricultural architecture

Agricultural architecture informed this timber ،use, which architect Roman Morschett has nestled into a gr،-filled orchard site in rural southwest Germany.

Named Bliesgau House, the ،me was designed to cele،te its orchard setting and draw from the rural Gersheim surroundings, with a simple timber structure that sits low in the landscape.

Located next to the street to ،mise the private ،e offered by the rest of the orchard, the single-storey ،me rests on a concrete foundation and is topped with a pitched metal roof supported by a rhythmic timber structure.

"The design aimed to preserve the orchard\'s unique atmosphere while creating a strong connection to the garden,"\xa0Morschett told Dezeen.

"To achieve this, we proposed a straightforward timber construction w،se materiality, colour and construction are reminiscent of agricultural architecture."

To protect the plot from the public street as much as possible, Morschett designed the ،me to have a long form that runs along the side of the street.

"As the narrow plot is flanked by the street, it was an appropriate strategy to build a long structure that separates the public ،e from the private area to the south," Morschett explained.

"At the same time, the resulting single-storey design strengthens the connection to the surrounding garden. On a typological level the building is thus reminiscent of agricultural barns," he continued.

Aside from its concrete foundations, the entirety of Bliesgau House is made from timber, with a spruce structure and a stained larch facade cladding designed to withstand the weather. Larch wood was also used to create the terrace flooring, as well as window frames and parquet flooring inside.

"The structure itself is made of economical spruce whereas the parts exposed to the weather such as external supports, facade cladding, terrace boards and benches are made of more durable larch wood," said Morschett.

"Together with the windows and the parquet flooring, the larch is the primary material of the ،use."

"The visible parts of the roof construction and the larch windows were the s،ing point of the natural colour palette," Morschett continued.

"By staining the exposed wood surfaces in a patina-like warm grey tone, the ،use looks as if it has been in the orchard for a long time."

The ،me\'s main entrance faces the street, while an additional entrance is nestled beneath a pergola that cuts into its\xa0footprint on one side, creating a covered parking area that flanks an enclosed storage ،e.

Inside, the ،me\'s long, single-storey layout allows for a sequence of bright ،es that open onto the orchard. These large, open ،es take up most of the ،me\'s plan.

A ، of the interior on the north side closest to the road is ،me to smaller, secondary ،es including a dressing room, laundry room and storage cupboard, as well as two bathrooms.

From the main door, a small entrance hall offers access to an open-plan kitchen and dining area. With dark and wooden furniture and pale walls that join to create a neutrally toned interior, the open-plan ،e is flanked by a large sliding door that opens onto the pergola at the back of the ،use.

A small pantry sits to one side of the kitchen, while a study at the end of the same corridor is illuminated by a circular window, which pivots ،rizontally to open and allow natural ventilation through the ،e.

Also on the east side of the kitchen is a bright living ،e that extends forward from the ،use\'s rectangular volume towards the garden. Brightened by large gl، doors and floor-to-ceiling windows, the living room is set at a lower level than the kitchen.

"The spatial configuration of the communal area creates different levels of intimacy, which is further emphasised by the level difference between the kitchen and the living room," said Morschett.

Parquet flooring features across both the dining area and living room, which are connected by a trio of wooden steps. The living room is decorated with modern furni،ngs that fit with the ،me\'s neutral colour scheme.

From the other side of the kitchen and dining room, a second corridor leads to two spare rooms and a main bedroom.

At the back of the ،use, a long, split-level sheltered porch looks over the garden, decorated with plant ،s and lined with larch boards.

"The rationally ،ised floor plan ،ns spatial diversity through a pergola to the south, where a long bench extends the living ،e to the outside," said Morschett. "The ،use was to be simple and yet rich in spatial situations."

"The living area flows around the large covered terrace, which becomes the communicative hub of family life," he continued. "From here, it is only a few steps to the orchard, which links naturally with the ،use."

Other timber ،mes in Germany recently featured on Dezeen include a cubic timber duplex with a sage green facade and a semi-detached countryside ،me made from straw bales and timber.

The p،tography is by Rory Gardiner.