This Cabin is Built to Disappear in the Mountains

The 20 meter long glass facade greatly influences the space. Some have an infinity pool, here you have an infinity bed. The design feels weightless, almost gravity defying. Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, welcome to Restless Living. My name is Christian Trammedach and today we have taken the journey to Ferdinsk in the South Tyrolean Alps, where we toured the small 65 square meter guest house named Freiform, designed by Gruber Architect. The architectural vision behind Freiform was simple yet profound. To create a nature observatory that feels as if you're completely immersed with the South Tyrolean landscape. To follow this vision, Freiform was not designed as a house, it was instead designed as an organic sculpture. The guest house is inspired by the land and conveys this feeling of floating lightly above the valley's topography, as if it's suspended while still being firmly grounded with the surroundings. As a result, Freiform invites its guests into a world where nature, art and architecture perfectly blend together. The architect Martin Gruber's design journey started way before Freiform. As a child, he dreamed of being a tightrope walker, balancing on the curb, arms outstretched, gazing at the horizon at the same time. And that sense of balance and freedom is woven into every single detail. When walking up to Freiform, all you architectural knowledgeable people will probably notice how Martin Gruber was inspired by the Brazilian architect Oscar Niemeyer's fluid philosophy, embracing curves over rigid lines. Here there are no 90 degrees angles, only soft organic forms that reflect a life attuned to nature's rhythms. It mimics the flowing elegance of Brazilian modernism. Anyway, let's head inside. Inside Freiform, the design of the interior is equally humble and breathtaking. Obviously, the 20 meter long glass facade greatly influences the space by dissolving the boundary between indoors and out. But also the combination of solid oak and loden fabric creates a tactile warmth that contrasts the exposed concrete. The Freiform is, in other words, reduced to the essentials in the most positive sense. I absolutely love the freestanding kitchen, where everything has been integrated into a single module. And I know some will say there's no space for my granola or I bet the fridge cannot even store five boxes of beer. And to you, I'll say you're absolutely right. The space is very limited, but that is the whole point of a guest house. It is only for short stays. Sorry, mom. The dining spot with bar stools evokes this experience of having an outdoor picnic. Notice how the oak kitchen countertop has been shaped to follow the glass panels running in parallel. It kind of frees up the space for better maneuverability. Right now, it is incredibly cold, but during summer, you can actually have a real outdoor picnic on the terrace, which can easily be accessed by the sliding doors. It's too cold. Let's just close this up again. The living space is intentionally neutral. It is free from any distractions. As you can see, there's no TV here. Instead, the guest is drawn to the ever-changing canvas of nature, where summer sunlight is streaming in, autumn's golden hues, or the drama of the rolling thunderstorm in the horizon. It creates this exceptionally personal, almost sacred connection between Freiform and its guests, where you can feel completely alone, which is just reinforced by the automatic curtains concealing the interior. Even the choice to only build one guest house instead of multiple units speaks to this desire for intimacy and quality over quantity. As Martin says, if you're checked in, we are fully booked. When you finish your picnic, it is incredibly inviting to just go here, lay down in the daybed, daydreaming with only an arm's length away from nature. As a guest, you also have the option to turn the daybed into a secondary bedroom. But the main bedroom, however, is around the corner, which I will show you right now. This is just the perfect place to retreat. Some have an infinity pool. Here you have an infinity bed placed in the middle of the meadow, surrounded by the spectacle of nature, protected by the glass shell and the organic concrete form. When lying here, you really feel a completely different sense of time when looking at the clouds or the starry sky. The design of the bedroom itself is refined and tasteful. The oak bedroom wall is carefully accented by the minimal bedside lights that can easily be adjusted for the convenient ambience, for example, when reading a book. To be honest, I would probably have a really hard time dragging myself out of this bedroom in the morning. It's just too captivating. The single bathroom seeks to play on the rawness of Freiform, its purity and sensuality. Besides the dark surfaces, the refined metal fittings and brass details, the bathroom also reminds us of what Freiform actually is, a concrete sculpture. This is especially highlighted by the concrete washbasin and the Freiform mirror paying direct tribute to the concept. Notice also how the cutouts for the spotlights are shaped organically to mimic the architectural structure. Rather than imposing on the terrain, the house allows the landscape to breathe through it, much like a gentle breeze flowing over a hill. The design feels weightless, almost gravity-defying, yet it is firmly grounded in its purpose to connect, inspire and shelter. Despite its small footprint of 65 square meters, I think it's incredible how spacious Freiform actually feels. A lot of it has something to do with that the entire program is surrounded by glass, but also the free flow of spaces and integrated functionality really makes you feel at home. It sort of makes the space become tangible, allowing you to slow down, disconnect and go offline. I feel like I get to rediscover the true joy of simplicity. Oskar Niemeyer said, architecture consists of dreams, imagination, curves and empty spaces. With these words in mind, Martin Gruber has designed a South Tyrolean gem celebrating Brazilian modernism. I hope you enjoyed the tour. See you next time.