Building a home around live trees isn't a new idea — after all, Odysseus carved his bed from a live olive tree. It is, however, a striking one. At Franz House, Bak Architects modernized this ancient concept, wrapping a modern porch around three trees to create a visually arresting house.
Much of the home is made of concrete, a signature of Bak. While modern, it can look a bit cold in the interior. However, the tree trunks running through the porch are a gorgeous focal point from many areas of the house. The combination of industrial concrete and rustic charm is both a bit jarring and a bit beautiful. It's perfect for hardcore modernists who want a woodland retreat.
1. A detailed view of the porch where you can see the holes in the porch ceiling.
2. An exterior view of the house, which is still under construction.
3. A view of the bedrooms at night, with the trunks running outside their windows.
4. The trees in daylight, as seen from upstairs.
5. The back porch at night, with a series of concrete planters running along one side.
For more information on this project, see Bak Architects.
Via The Contemporist
Images: Bak Architects
10 No-Fail Decor Tricks & Tips for Small Spaces
Beth's Romantic & Retro Residence
Good Food to Share 
The Big Book of Small, Cool Spaces 
Apartment Therapy Presents 
The Eight-Step Home Cure 
Shaw's Original Fir...
How to Bake a Potato: Three Easy Methods
How To Cook Tender, Chewy Wheat Berries on the Stovetop
it looks pretty cool, but i wonder what happens when the trunks widen with growth or the trees get sick and die... although i guess if you can afford to create these problems you can afford to get out of them too...
The interior shots on the website are so COLD! And all the fixtures (cabinets, sink, etc) are concrete so there are no options to ever move anything around without a major production. Why leave the trees and let the outside feel so alive and leave the inside to feel so dead?
During hurricane Irene, I watched the tall pines by my house bend and move in ways I never thought possible. That roof with those narrow holes probably would have guaranteed building damage. Still, I love this design, and if/when the trees come out, it will still be an intriguing space - perhaps the holes could be a place for sculpture that honors the character of the remaining trees.
The trees-as-part-of-structure idea is marvelous and whimsical. That said, I have to nod to deirdre625 (above) and say that all the androids I can think of would deeply appreciate the hueless, sterile and uninviting atmosphere of the interior.
Even as an architect who likes Ando and Corbusier I find the inside sterile too. I don't understand the use of concrete instead of cabinets. Missed opportunity to bring some warmth to counter the stark concrete. Even Ando uses wood as a counter to his concrete. Still, nicely done, dig the interactions at the corners of solid and void.
While I like the layout of the house, I agree that it seems terribly cheerless. The bathroom makes me think of a prison! This lovely design could easily have been amended with a softer finish, e.g. wood floors instead of concrete etc. As it is, I'd be afraid of having little children fall and injure themselves here. The trees are really nice, but those holes look too small for future growth.
It reminds me of Ishnala in Wisconsin Dells. My mom worked there when I was a tot.
http://www.ishnala.com/
I actually like the house but think the tree thing is a total gimmick. Does the overhang above the porch do anything other than make an opportunity to interfere with the trees? I thought maybe it was so you could sit outside when it's raining but there's no furniture out there to sit on.
I'm also bothered by the fact that the holes at the bottom are rectangular and the holes at the top are elliptical. That seems messy to me.
@MiklakMiklak
Agreed, it especially stands out since it's the only circular shape in the whole house! Everything else is rectangular.
I love it. Our deck has a square cut out like that, with a cedar tree growing through it. I did wonder what happens if the tree gets too big, but now I am thinking we'll have to redo the deck long before that happens.
Growing up, we used to spend time at the cottage of some family friends and there was a large tree growing through one of the walls in the master bedroom. I thought it was so cool, although I haven't been back in years, so I really don't know how it all worked. They were very artsy and the cottage had a much more organic feel than the house shown.