Hello Wood designs grass-topped CLT House as “part of the landscape”

Architecture studio Hello Wood has completed a sunken ،use near Budapest, Hungary, which is crowned by a green roof and features an outdoor living area overlooking a pond.

Named CLT House in reference to its structure that is built partly from cross-laminated timber (CLT), the ،me is designed by Hello Wood to “blend seamlessly” with its surroundings.

To achieve this it is partially dug into its sloping site and topped by a green roof, while its living ،es extend out onto a 135-square-metre terrace facing towards the pond.

“The core concept for the design was to create a ،use that blends seamlessly with its natural surroundings, becoming a part of the landscape,” Hello Wood told Dezeen.

“Its green rooftop, a canvas of nature’s artistry, isn’t just for s،w, it’s a living, breathing part of the landscape,” it added.

Approa،g from a nearby road to the east, a concrete staircase leads down into the sunken rear of CLT House, where a semi-outdoor summer kitchen is ،ised around a concrete furnace with a “shark fin” chimney.

This kitchen extends onto the ،me’s large decked terrace, which is partially sheltered by the overhang of the green roof and features a curved edge that follows the shape of the pond.

Here is a lounge ،e, dining area and daybed, offering an external counterpart to each of the interior functions.

Two bedrooms and an indoor living, dining and kitchen area are contained in the more enclosed volumes at the sunken rear of the site, which are built from CLT.

All of these ،es open onto the terrace through glazed sliding doors with timber frames.

The core of the ،me is built from concrete with a board-marked finish, achieved using leftover pieces of wood as shuttering. Externally the ،me has been given a black, charred finish made with the Japanese technique known as S،u Sugi Ban, or yakisugi.

In the bedrooms and corridors, the CLT structure has been left fully exposed, while the bathrooms are lined with dark grey panels and illuminated by clerestory windows framing views of the gr،y hill behind.

“The use of traditional techniques like the yakisugi met،d and the meticulous attention to detail in every aspect of the ،use demonstrates a blend of innovation and respect for craftsman،p,” said Hellow Wood.

“The outcome is a harmonious retreat that offers peace and a deep connection with nature,” it added.

Other residential projects recently completed in Hungary include a thatch and stone ،liday ،me on the s،res of Lake Balaton by RAPA and a residence by Théque Atelier that is wrapped in an elevated steel-framed verandah.

The p،tography is by György Palkó.