A Minimalist Home Is Built Into Steep Terrain in an Austrian Valley
Overlooking views of a picturesque Austrian village, this modern home is built of wood entirely sourced from the homeowner’s forest.
A contemporary take on traditional Austrian farmhouses, the Höller House evokes simplistic beauty at its finest. Designed by Innauer-Matt Architekten, this newly built home is nestled into a steep hill just outside a village in the idyllic Bregenzerwald valley in Western Austria.
Although the steep terrain has deterred previous development, the team of architects embraced the landscape and strategically mitigated the slope by partly excavating the plot to insert a concrete base with a garage. Scroll ahead for a closer look at this breathtaking property.
To help blend the building into the landscape, the sections of the home visible above the slope are cladded in natural and unfinished spruce sourced from the owner's own forest.
Adolf Bereuter
"We carefully placed it into the hillside situation like a solitaire, with only two of its three floors being visible," says a team member from Innauer-Matt Architekten. "The entrance is not recognizable as such immediately, making the house seem somewhat inapproachable and more private. The access from the road is situated at a lower level, and only at second sight can the concrete-covered cut into the hill be identified as the entrance."
Exposed trusses celebrate the home's timber construction. The house is also equipped with solar water heating.
Adolf Bereuter
Get the Pro Newsletter
What’s new in the design world? Stay up to date with our essential dispatches for design professionals.
By only using a few different materials, the minimalist home has a crisp and clean appearance.
Adolf Bereuter
To satisfy the client’s desires for a private outdoor space, the architects have added covered terraces that wrap around the home on two floors.
The second floor terrace steps directly out onto the hill. The slatted spruce screens provide privacy, while also allowing natural light to filter indoors.
Adolf Bereuter
The first floor features three bedrooms connected to a south-facing terrace. A centrally located staircase leads up to the second floor that comprises the light-filled living room, dining area, and kitchen. A small loft with seating is inserted above the bathroom and storage room.
Shop the Look
Medley Stu Dining Table
The Stu Dining Table is grace and minimalism in a sophisticated table, with a smooth beveled edge. The sleek angles and lines bring everything together into a modern dining table that will fit beautifully in your dining area. This designer table can be made to fit either six or ten people and will be a convenient way to entertain your friends or family. Medley hand makes each piece on a made to order basis in their Los Angeles factory. Photo Courtesy of Medley
ShopMuuto Pull Floor Lamp
The unique composition of the Pull floor lamp provides the lamp with a personality that is both organic and distinctively true to its Scandinavian design heritage. The partly exposed, partly hidden textile cord connects the elements and provides the mechanism to adjust the position of the shade. Moving the shade not only changes the light but also the character of the lamp. Photo courtesy of Finnish Design Shop
ShopMuuto Fiber Wood Base Armchair
The pleasant Fiber chair by Muuto is made from an innovative composite material consisting of plastic and wood fibers. From further away Fiber looks like a smooth plastic chair, but a closer look reveals the beautiful wood fibers in the surface of the shell material. Fiber chair can be used at home and office, and it’s a perfect dining room chair. Choose your favorite from different base, colour and upholstery options. Iskos-Berlin, the designer of the Fiber chair, has said: "One of the most difficult and noble disciplines is to design without eccentricity. To create simple, well-functioning, almost ordinary objects that nevertheless have strong identities. We designed Fiber chair to do just that with a clear sculptural language that refuses to compromise on comfort. It’s a chair stripped of all unnecessary layers leaving the chair with a seat, back and armrests that is integrated in one harmonious shell, perfect for nesting yourself into. The iconic form marries soft, embracing curves with an environmentally friendly wood fiber composite, giving Fiber chair a distinctive tactile texture while also keeping it 100% recyclable.”
shopMenu Tied Pendant Light
The Tied Pendant Light, designed in 2016, has a simple and versatile design. A ceramic cylinder that holds an exposed bulb hangs from a fabric-covered power cord. The mixture of materials adds visual interest and complexity to the minimalist design. The cord color matches the ceramic cylinder and is long enough to allow for various configurations and ease of movement. The E26 socket makes it possible to use different types of bulbs to complement modern settings and can be clustered together to form a centerpiece. Ideal for use in modern living rooms, kitchens, or entryways. Available in Carbon. Taupe. White, or Ash. Ships with 120" of fabric cord. Shown in White. Photo Courtesy of YLiving
ShopLZF Mini Mikado Suspension Light
Two stamped wooden veneer sheets, mounted to a pattern which lends them torsion and dynamism, make up the shade of the Mini Mikado lamp. The stamped wooden strips design in the air a shape charged with sensuality, as well as adding an overall lightness to the piece and creating interesting plays of light and shadow. The strips give the shade a volumetric richness that changes according to the viewing angle.
ShopLarge windows frame views of the rural Austrian valley.
Adolf Bereuter
Skylights and large glazed openings flood the interiors with natural light, where light concrete walls provide a cool contrast to the warmth lent by unfinished spruce paneling.
A small seating area is tucked into a loft-like space.
Adolf Bereuter
By creating and adapting a spectrum of translucence and transparency to each room, the architects were able to prevent unwanted insights while also making beautiful outlooks a part of everyday life and living.
The roof was built with prefabricated wood elements.
Adolf Bereuter
Heating is primarily powered by geothermal energy.
Adolf Bereuter
Recessed lights minimize visual distraction.
Adolf Bereuter
A look at the Höller House site plan.
Innauer-Matt Architekten
Here, you can see the Höller House elevations.
Innauer-Matt Architekten
A look at the Höller House floor plans.
Innauer-Matt Architekten
Here are the Höller House sections.
Innauer-Matt Architekten
Project Credits:
Architect of Record: Innauer-Matt Architekten
General Contractor: Zimmerei Michael Kaufmann
Structural Engineer: Merz Kley Partner / Hammerle Huster
Cabinetry Design: Tischlerei Valentin Winder
Published
Last Updated