mahabis architecture // dreimeta, urban jungle house

a jungle house in urban germany could end up with all the qualities of the borrowed word ‘kitsch’, but we are in love with the way forward-thinking design cooperative dreimeta redesign a dreamhouse in Augsburg with their innovative interpretation on the theme.

lets start with the balance and the environment. the palette remained metallic and neutral so as not to compete with the chilly forest greens that meet its glass walls. the house blends into the urban jungle nearby with cements to woods and dark stones yet it has an earthy edge.

dreimeet kept all their ideas tall with high ceilings, long vertical panelling and floor to ceiling glass that makes you feel like you can reach the canopy of the forest. but for the most part, the plants remain outside.

inside the rooms feel like cozy caves opening to nature on one side. each room contains elements that are both shiny and matt.  

we were completely enchanted by the dining setting- the 60s inspired fuchsia-coloured seating is arranged like the petals of a flower around the table. for an evening glow the dining room has an oversized chandelier that enhances the floral suggestions.

lighting has a sixties edge with a choice of moving flood lights on ceiling tracks that can mirror the natural light from the glass walls or focus on the artwork.

walls are demure in off-whites and every corner is sharp. the passages and stairway feel like passing through a calm contemporary museum, the ones you want to sit and contemplate in.

rooms also have subtle shapes themes that imitate nature such as the squares and rectangles in the living room, like step stones in a pond.

another creed of the young dreimeta design coop is to ‘emotionalize space’ so that rooms tell stories and touch senses. one way this is achieved was by adding 1960s home-style inspired splashes such as a bedspread that nanny might have knitted, retro magazine and old style flip flops.

the home was originally built in 1969, so the 60s touches enhance its true roots and yet the narrow three story building give a sense of meandering up a pristine jungle path and discovering the subtle shapes and quirks of nature.

dreimeta are a coop of architects and designers based in germany who collaborate on design projects. see more of their work dreimeta.com

Photos from homeadore.com