Dezeen Magazine

Bird nest-looking holiday home in the mids of the woods

Buitenverblijf Nest is a "folly high up in the trees" in the Netherlands

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.

Buitenverblijf Nest by NAMO Architecture and i29, a timber-cladded holiday home in the woods
Buitenverblijf Nest by Namo Architecture and i29 is a holiday home in the Netherlands

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.

Wooden home blends in with the trees around
It is intended to blend in with the site

"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."

bird nest-looking wooden home sits among the trees
Namo Architects and i29's design references birdhouses and nests

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".

Timber-cladded home with solar panels on the roof
The structure is elevated on black metal legs

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.

holiday home on stilts with terrace overlooking the trees around
A terrace projects from the living spaces

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.

holiday home compact interior with an open plan small kitchen and living room
Large windows look out over the treetops

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.

More images and plans

Ground level plan of Nest by NAMO Architecture and i29
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First floor plan of Nest by NAMO Architecture and i29
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Hood plan of Nest by NAMO Architecture and i29
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Roof plan of Nest by NAMO Architecture and i29
Plan
Cross section living of Nest by NAMO Architecture and i29
Section
Long section of Nest by NAMO Architecture and i29
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Cross section kitchen of Nest by NAMO Architecture and i29
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Timber-cladded holiday home in the woods
Window of timber-cladded holiday home in the woods
Terrace of timber-cladded holiday home in the woods
Timber-cladded holiday home in the woods
Timber-cladded holiday home in the woods
Timber-cladded holiday home in the woods
Wooden stairs
Hallway with bathroom
Timber-cladded compact kitchen
4-persons bed and chair in a bedroom
Living room and terrace overlooking the woods