- Project: Dunes House
- Architect: HGA Henning Grahn Architektur
- Location: Germany, Mainz
- Year: 2025
- Area: 125 m2
- Photography: David Schreyer
The Dunes House stands as a thoughtful reinterpretation of domestic architecture in the heart of Mainz—a project where sustainability, restraint, and contextual sensitivity merge into a quietly confident home. Designed by HGA Henning Grahn Architektur, the residence replaces an existing semi-detached structure that could no longer be preserved due to structural damage, low ceiling heights, and material contamination. Instead of replicating the past, the architects chose a future-facing approach: a compact yet high-performing timber house that addresses ecological responsibility and spatial clarity.
A Sustainable Timber Structure with Purpose
The core of Dunes House is a sustainable timber framework, chosen not only for its environmental performance but also for its ability to create a warm, naturally textured domestic atmosphere. The design prioritizes renewable materials, high insulation values, and careful energy management—an architectural stance aligned with Germany’s progressive building culture.
Every layer of the new structure responds to a sustainable mindset: the house is compact, efficient, and precisely engineered to reduce long-term energy consumption. The envelope is highly insulated, ensuring thermal comfort throughout all seasons while significantly lowering operational energy demand.
Replacing the Old with an Enhanced Urban Presence
The original semi-detached house could not be rehabilitated, but its urban footprint becomes the starting point for the new design. HGA Henning Grahn Architektur respected the scale and position of the former dwelling, maintaining the rhythm of the street and strengthening the continuity of the neighborhood’s profile.
Yet, the new volume subtly refines the existing typology. Clean, minimal lines and modern articulation introduce a sense of calm contemporary presence. The architects deliberately avoided imposing gestures, opting instead for quiet precision—an approach that blends harmoniously into the surroundings while clearly marking a new architectural chapter.
Light, Warmth & Atmosphere
Inside, the natural material palette shapes a warm and tactile domestic environment. Timber is left visible in many areas, fostering a gentle contrast with the exterior’s restrained monochrome finish. Daylight plays a central role: generous openings, carefully oriented, flood the interior with natural light and create fluid visual relationships with the garden and adjacent structures.
The interior layout is optimized for clarity and comfort, offering a sequence of connected living spaces that feel larger than the home’s compact footprint. Minimalist detailing, clean surfaces, and the calming presence of wood compose a serene, uncluttered atmosphere—an intentional antidote to urban density.
A Compact Home Designed for Longevity
Though modest in size at 125 m², Dunes House demonstrates how thoughtful architectural design can elevate spatial experience far beyond numerical constraints. The home is built to last—materially, ecologically, and aesthetically. Its sustainable timber skeleton, optimized thermal envelope, and responsible material strategy align with long-term ecological goals, while its timeless design ensures aesthetic endurance.
Above all, Dunes House represents the future-forward mindset of contemporary German residential architecture: compact, sustainable, intelligent, and deeply human.
