Lakeside House

The :Waldsiedlung Wildpark West" near Potsdam lies in vast pine forests;attractively embedded in the Brandenburg landscape. On a lakeside site with private lakeshore and landing jetty, ad-jacent to the Schwielowsee, architect Katrin Oggesen designed a family home, the "Lakeside House" ,a striking, two story modular design, wooden house. The appearance of the property is enhan-ced by large old trees which were virtually unaffected. With the basic shape of an enclosed elongated rectangle, the front of the house gives an understated impressin, however towards the lake it fans out with a ratated cube which encloses the living room and library and offers an open, wide and clear view of the lake.

The exterior facade of the home is clad in horizontally laid pine wood planking which is accentuated by extended profiles. They dictate the height dimensions of the wimdow openings and frame them simultaneously. The white coating gives the cube its light-ness. Internally polished wooden walls, which, on the ground floor are oiled with the addition of white pigments, and upstairs treated naturally, help to create a bright and pleasant atmosphere.

The internal layout of the plot orientation. Looking towards the lake, clearly zoned spaces can be experienced as an open living area by the generously sized enteance area with composite floor system, which leads from the generously sized entrance area with the necessary side rooms. The living room is accessed via a step down from the cooking and dining area. By skillful design of this single story section of the building, which faces south-west, and overlooks the large garden terrace, a generous roof terrace is created which is accessed from the bedroom.

The first floor offers a retreat; off a large landing area, which is used as the library, are the bedrooms, each with its own en-suite bathroom in a contemporary design. Door, cupboards and shel-ves are painted white in contrast to the wooden walls metre wide folding glass doors gives a framed panoramic view of the lake; bringing you closer to nature.

The opening of the south-west facade is achieved by large-format folding glass doors, Solarlux series SL 80, which opens over the entire width and can be stacked at the side. Durabili-ty is achieved by high quality material and stainless steel ruuner. It ensures an easy and smooth operation of the three-meter panels.Designer door handles made from stainless steel and the multi-point locking system offer excellent comfort and security.

Narrow frame and panel profiles afford maximum view in closed state. Stable, multi-chamber profiles with quadruple thermal in-sulation provide the best thermal insulation meeting the latest European Energy Saving Regulations (EnEV). Overall, the house achieeves a high level of insulation, thanks to the solid wood construction that keeps the demand for heating in winter low and during the summer months, in addition to the shade from the trees, provides a pleasant indoor climate.

Photography: Constantin Meyer, Cologne