A lively and warm wooden home

Sarah Tolle – Homify Canada Sarah Tolle – Homify Canada
Holzhaus in Erlenstegen, Jenohr + Mezger Jenohr + Mezger Modern houses
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Today, architects from Jenohr + Mezger bring to you an award-winning holiday home in nestled in a quiet neighborhood in Germany. This unique structure has been granted numerous awards, including selection as one of the Bavarian Architects of 2013, as an Exemplary Building of the Supreme Bavarian Building Authority, and as one of the most beautiful houses in Germany here on homify.

Timber construction

The architects choose wood as a primary building material for many of their modern homes. They explain that constructed a home from timber has a number of benefits: first of all, when orchestrated correctly, the construction of a timber home can take less time, as there's no need to wait for plaster to dry before adding other components of the building. A carpenter can already be assembling the building parts in a workshop as the floor is being installed, as the windows are being ordered, etc. 

Another benefit of building with wood is that it's highly maneuverable and easy to assemble beforehand in a workshop. This means that in country with cold winters (like Germany!), construction times are less dependent upon having favorable weather. 

Add the benefit that wood is a renewable raw material that binds CO2, and you've got a strong ecological reason to use wood in home construction. The architects note that trees are been planted at a greater rate than they are being cut down in Bavaria: all the more reason to use this material, as it's in rich supply and it's simple to renew.

Modern form

This building takes a bold, modern form, with a homogenous shell of light, untreated wood, and a shape that deviates from box-like only through the cantilevered extension of the upper level. As many modern designs do, this home displays a flat roof with a seamless appearance that hides any indication of gutters. The overall effect of this facade is a dominant sensation of warmth instilled by the light, yellowed wood and large windows that offer a welcoming connection to the yard and street.

​Interior staircase

A peak to the inside of the home reveals a staircase that perfectly mimics the light wood of the exterior shell, creating a cohesive theme that encompasses both the interior and exterior areas of the home. This simple and bright interior shows an affinity for neutral colours, smooth surfaces, a crisp edges that create an atmosphere that feels airy and clean.

​Side view

A side view reveals that one wall of the home has absolutely no windows. This design lets the public-facing areas of the home communicate through a number of wide windows, while the sides that receive less coming and going remain insulated, private, and windowless. This is an example of a common technique used for heat efficiency – homes that maximize natural heat from the sun often place windows on just one or two sides of the home (South-facing, in most cases), keeping the other side(s) windowless in order to create a solid, sealed wall with good heat retention where less natural light is available.

​Building philosophy

These architects explain that they balance a set of considerations when building any of their projects. On one side, they consider physics and the structural components of architecture. On the other side, they consider both the aesthetics and the ethics of a building. This results in a highly integrated design that's not only built for durability and strength, but for personal and ecological wellbeing as well. Many of their projects include natural materials such as wood, clay, cellulose insulation, and lime plasters, and energy-efficient heating methods remain a primary focus for this team of architects.

You can clearly see this ecological and aesthetic emphasis in this wooden home, which appears all the more welcoming and lively in the winter due to the addition of glowing lamps casting their light upon the golden hue of the home's timber shell.

For more beautiful examples of wooden home architecture, see this ideabook: 10 Wooden Homes that Will Make You Yell WOW!

What do you think of this wooden home? Comment below!

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