brandt + simon architekten adds green tile façade to berlin home

brandt + simon architekten was commissioned to build a family house in a vacant lot in berlin’s prenzlauer berg district. the owners wanted enough space for a small family with many books and frequent guests, as well as a garden with vegetables and fruit trees. to achieve this, the architecture team placed the house deep in the land, next to the wall of the neighboring building, resulting in a big green open space.

the façade was one of the design focuses of this project created by brandt + simon architekten. a big number of plain tiles and the chosen range of color lead to an interplay between the very traditional building material. its almost handmade haptic quality and the pixel-like appearance resulted in a highly distinguished house that can be seen from a distance. its color gradient is laid out as a repeating pattern into great detail. it recalls the former nursery on the estate and also interprets the client’s brief to build a garden house.

while using the plain tiles for the whole façade, a massive and durable solution was found, which besides its design potential, provides a technically perfect coverage for the timber-frame construction behind. to complete the overall green feeling of the building, cellulose (recycled paper) has been used exclusively for thermal insulation and heating has been substantially supported by passive solar energy panels. the atypical colored façade makes this house a peculiar new member of the urban fabric. simultaneously, the hasty passerby will not necessarily notice the greenish structure as it blends with plants and trees deep in the gap between the neighboring buildings.

site plan 

ground floor 

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designboom has received this project from our ‘DIY submissions‘ feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.

edited by: juliana neira | designboom

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