Designed by Düsseldorf-based interior architecture practice Falkenberg Innenarchitektur, House Rheder II is designed as a serene retreat, shedding inessential features and integrating itself within the natural landscape. Framing views of the idyllic greenery of East Westfalia and gentle waters of the river Nethe, the project aims to dissolve the chaos of modern life.

© Reimund Braun

Designed by Düsseldorf-based interior architecture practice Falkenberg Innenarchitektur, House Rheder II is designed as a serene retreat, shedding inessential features and integrating itself within the natural landscape. Framing views of the idyllic greenery of East Westfalia and gentle waters of the river Nethe, the project aims to dissolve the chaos of modern life. "In a time of excess we have built a house that makes the essentials tangible," said the client. "It should not be big and important, but small and correct."
© Reimund Braun

© Reimund Braun

© Reimund Braun

Originally a holiday home from the 1950s, the house was rebuilt starting in 2015, preserving the original floor slab and terrace over the water as a foundation to pare down to 90 square meters of essentials: light, air, and tranquility. The structure is minimalist, with exposed steel supports and a steel frame supporting fully glazed facades. Filigree floor-to-ceiling glass...