rundzwei architekten envelops 'pergola house' in berlin with unified wooden slat façade

settling amid a green plot in berlin, germany, the ‘pergola house‘ by rundzwei architekten BDA showcases a distinctive façade completely enveloping the structure in silver fir slats. drawing from the primordial notion of a home, the design generates a barn-like volume with a gable roof, relying solely on wooden beams to generate a unified character. meanwhile, the interior forms exciting environments, through a complex arrangement of different levels. 

all images courtesy of gui rebelo

‘pergola house’ by rundzwei architekten BDA is uniformly enclosed by a dominant wooden strip envelope, partially interrupted by a series of square cutout openings. the exterior presents a gable roof with protruding slats that cover specific areas like the carport, the entrance, and the terrace. these extended pergola-like volumes achieve a seamless connection between the interior and the garden, encouraging the residents to form a close bond with the natural surroundings. 

the intricate shell shapes the building into an architectural unit, emphasizing the archetype of the classic family house on the one hand and blurring its form on the other. functionally, the uniform roof and façade skin with its interstices maintains the privacy of the occupants while also serving as sun protection, thus becoming a filter between interior and exterior.

on the first floor, the living, dining, and kitchen areas are all organized in an ‘L’ shape, wrapping around the concentrated ‘serving’ functions (study, guest WC, staircase, and storage). at its apex, this horizontal ‘L’ interlinks the interior with the exterior through large glazed openings, while patio doors extend the house into the garden, leading residents outside. above the dining area, a void space extends towards the pitched roof, this time forming a vertical ‘L’ with the open kitchen or the living room. this allows for visual relationships to emerge between the ground floor and the floors above.

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project info: 

name: pergola house
architects: rundzwei architekten BDA
project team: michelle bähr, constantin blömer, luca di carlo, marc dufour-feronce, raimon espasa bou, lou pelosoff, andreas reeg
location: berlin, germany
area: approx. 350 sqm (3767 sqft)
photography: gui rebelo