Greenkamp House: Atelier ST Blends Timber Craft, Heritage, and Modern Living in Berlin’s Historic Eichkamp Estate

Greenkamp House, designed by Atelier ST | Gesellschaft von Architekten mbH, stands as a thoughtful reinterpretation of historical Berlin residential architecture. Completed in 2025 and spanning 255 m², the project is located within the storied Eichkamp estate in west Berlin—an early 20th-century forest settlement envisioned by architect Bruno Taut. As one of the last undeveloped plots in this rare neighborhood, the site required an approach deeply rooted in sensitivity, tradition, and contextual awareness.

Eichkamp is defined by its mature deciduous trees, small detached homes, and a near-village atmosphere, despite its proximity to major infrastructure like the ICC and the old AVUS motorway. Atelier ST’s challenge was to create a family home for six that would blend harmoniously into this historic environment while offering contemporary comfort, sustainable construction, and unique architectural character.

A Contemporary Interpretation of Historic Identity

The design draws heavily from the site’s forested surroundings and the estate’s traditional typologies. The house presents a compact, nearly square footprint crowned with a tent roof, echoing familiar neighborhood proportions while asserting its own modern presence. Subtly projecting upper stories introduce sculptural depth, allowing the home to feel both grounded and visually dynamic.

The architects envisioned the house as a quiet architectural gesture—not an icon, but a respectful, multi-layered addition to a culturally rich setting. It balances openness and privacy, community presence and personal retreat, tradition and innovation.

Exterior Design: Green Camouflage and Art Deco References

The façade is finished in dark green mineral lime plaster, allowing the structure to blend almost camouflaged into its forested surroundings. This connection to nature is enhanced by the pre-patinated ceramic tile roof, which supports the house’s monolithic, undirected form.

Window openings—circular, semi-circular, and tall rectangular—creatively reference Art Deco elements, popular during the estate’s early development. The integration of the building into the sloped terrain adds to its natural character, using half-height plinths, terracing, and gentle embankments.

A paved forecourt provides a welcoming entry moment with parking for cars and bicycles—forming a threshold between the neighborhood and the private realm of the home.

A Warm Surprise: A Fully Timber Interior

Stepping inside reveals an unexpected contrast to the exterior: a complete timber interior, creating a warm, serene sanctuary. Except for the partial basement and a black mastic asphalt floor, the entire home—walls, ceilings, built-ins, and surfaces—is crafted from wood, underscoring Atelier ST’s commitment to renewable materials and ecological design.

The layout is open, luminous, and fluid, shaped by strategic height differences, framed sightlines, and carefully designed intimate retreats.

Key Interior Features

• A spacious, light-filled foyer with semi-circular double doors and diamond-pattern glazing bars
• Floor-to-ceiling sliding doors continuing the diamond motif
• Generous semi-circular windows merging indoor and outdoor living
• A slightly elevated living room designed as a calm retreat with panoramic views—a space for reading, music, and conversation
• A custom-built wood-burning stove with green tadelakt seating, serving as both centerpiece and main heating source

Family-Centered Living Across Three Levels

The upper floors accommodate the family’s bedrooms, children’s rooms, and workspaces. Each is flexible, bright, and oriented toward the garden or the treetops of Grunewald. Single-flight staircases, mezzanine galleries, and interconnected air spaces produce a spatial complexity that belies the home’s simple exterior form.

Round arches continue throughout the interior, expressed in black-stained oak doors and openings that echo the Art Deco motifs seen outside.

A Home Rooted in Nature, Tradition, and Craft

Greenkamp House is a testament to contextual, sustainable residential design—a home that honors its historic surroundings while embracing modern family life. Its combination of timber craftsmanship, sculptural exterior form, and sensitive urban placement makes it a standout example of contemporary architecture in Berlin.

All the photographs are works of Clemens Poloczek