UrbanNest Huis
Urban Nest House is a compact modern home designed for dense urban settings, combining spatial efficiency with warm, contemporary interiors. Despite its small footprint, the house achieves an open, bright atmosphere through smart layout strategies and refined material selections.
Urban Nest House is shaped around the challenge of creating spatial generosity on a small, urban plot surrounded by neighboring buildings. The architectural strategy focuses on vertical layering and a subtle interplay of light, material, and proportion. The façade is composed of warm wooden panels framed by slender metal lines, giving the house a quiet yet distinguished presence along the street. Carefully positioned windows create a balance between transparency and privacy, while a central vertical light shaft brings natural illumination deep into the home’s core.
Inside, the rooms unfold in a fluid sequence, designed to eliminate visual barriers and create a perception of continuous space. The ground floor hosts an open living area with multifunctional built-in furniture that enhances flexibility. As one moves upward, split-level configurations introduce visual connections between floors, creating a dynamic spatial rhythm. The interiors feature a palette of natural wood, matte surfaces, and soft tones that amplify brightness and warmth. Despite its modest footprint, the architecture successfully delivers a sense of serenity, expansiveness, and modern elegance suited to contemporary urban lifestyles.
Urban Nest House demonstrates how modern building technologies can elevate small-scale urban housing to achieve high sustainability and comfort. The structure is built using Gablok’s precision-insulated modular system, which dramatically reduces thermal bridging and ensures an airtight envelope. This leads to outstanding energy efficiency, lower heating demand, and long-term operational savings for residents. High-performance glazing, controlled ventilation systems, and integrated shading strategies support optimal indoor climate conditions throughout the year.
Sustainable thinking extends into every component of the design. The home incorporates low-emission materials, compact mechanical systems, and a roof prepared for photovoltaic panels despite the tight urban setting. Rainwater harvesting is managed through a discreet filtration system, while permeable paving in the small courtyard supports responsible water management. One of the primary design challenges was introducing natural light into a narrow, heavily shadowed plot. This was achieved through strategic voids, internal glass partitions, and a vertical light well that acts as the home’s breathing spine. The result is a compact residence that delivers high-quality living conditions, minimal environmental impact, and a future-proof design adapted to the realities of urban life.
