House by the Lake / Carlos Zwick Architekten BDA

Thousands of excursionists used to enjoy homemade ice cream and lemonade on this historic lakeside property in Potsdam until the old park cafe there closed its doors. 25 years after the fall of the Berlin Wall, Berlin-based architect Carlos Zwick fell in love with the overgrown property. He bought it, including dilapidated monuments, without a building permit, but with a vision: a family place was to be built here, a house that would uncompromisingly engage with the essential elements of the surrounding nature.