Koeris House / Zeller & Moye

Haus Koeris is a private home that is situated among tall pine trees on a lot near a lake in close proximity to Berlin. As a structure entirely made of wood, the building is elevated from the ground to minimise the impact on the land and to avoid contact with the seasonally damp soil. The irregular shape of the house stems from the position of existing trees. Five boxes are arranged in a staggered layout with the individual rooms overlapping each other allowing for connections between them. The shifts in the floor plan create small patios and green niches along the building‘s perimeter. Some of these alcoves are sheltered from wind or hidden from views, others capture the sun and thus create pleasant microclimates. The recesses give the residents various opportunities to use the exterior as inhabitable open air spaces in dialogue with the internal rooms, proposing a new relationship with nature where indoors and outdoors blend into each other.