Hasta La Ideas

Architecture studios i29 and Namo Architecture referenced birdhouses and nests when creating this holiday home in Arnhem, which is intended to blend in with its woodland setting.

Named Buitenverblijf Nest, the dwelling is located at Buitenplaats Koningsweg, a wooded site at the edge of the Hoge Veluwe National Park in the Netherlands, which was formerly occupied by barracks.

According to i29 and Namo Architecture, Buitenverblijf Nest is intended to resemble a folly, which it describes as a “bizarre and playful building structure”.

It is also designed to camouflage with the site, which the studios said aims to ensure it is sensitive to the wooded landscape while reflecting the wartime history of the area.

“We came up with the idea to hide our folly high up in the trees, like a bird nest,” i29 told Dezeen.

“And with a birdhouse in mind, Buitenverblijf Nest is not an odd fit in the wooded landscape.”

Buitenverblijf Nest forms part of a wider masterplan for Buitenplaats Koningsweg, which is now home to a mix of artists and creative entrepreneurs.

There are also 10 other “follies” that have been constructed for use as holiday homes, all designed in line with the theme for the masterplan, which is “camouflage”.

Buitenverblijf Nest comprises a gabled volume wrapped in layers of wooden cladding, elevated eight metres above the ground on slender black metal legs.

Nesting spaces are incorporated within the layered facade and under the raised floor, providing homes for birds, insects and other woodland creatures.

Inside, Buitenverblijf Nest comprises a living room, a compact kitchen and a terrace for enjoying both the morning and evening sun. Above, a mezzanine level contains a bathroom and bedroom with a four-person bed.

Large windows and glass doors provide the elevated living spaces with a unique view of the treetops while retaining privacy.

To maximise space, Namo Architecture and i29 designed the interior with “space efficient solutions in each and every detail”, they said. Storage is, therefore, hidden throughout.

“For example, part of the storage room is combined with a stairs cupboard, which then leads to the bathroom on the mezzanine floor,” said the studios.

Buitenverblijf Nest is complete with all-electric appliances and solar panels on the roof for energy.

Other holiday homes elevated within woodland include the PAN Treetop Cabins, completed by architect Espen Surnevik in Finnskogen, and Trakt Forest Hotel in Småland by Wingårdhs.

The photography by Jeroen Musch.

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