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Designed by Manta North, this 516-square-foot residence is situated on an organic farm near the intersection of Germany, Switzerland, and Austria.

There is even the possibility to create single, independent units as cabin-like retreats.

This thatch-roofed brick cottage in Nieby, Germany, was originally built by tenant farmers or crofters from a nearby estate in the late 1800s. It stands on a small triangular plot of land surrounded by barley fields and faces toward the Geltinger Birk nature reserve. The home’s street-facing facade was preserved and restored with only a minimal, black-steel dormer window belying the more substantial alterations which open onto the private rear yard. A subtle black-framed addition containing an oak-lined living space is tucked under the thatched roof and opens onto a sunken timber terrace while large picture windows are cut into the historic brick volume in areas which had been damaged from the previous additions.

The house features 360-degree views and is “truly unbelievable at night,” says Susan. “It is just a blanket of stars.”