The brick house in East Frisia, built in the 1960s as a farmworker’s home, consists of a main house and a small barn. It was constructed following a standardized plan, reflecting the mass housing developments of post-war Germany.Designed to meet broad housing needs, the house was built simply with local materials like red brick and craftsmanship. This type of self-sufficient home shaped the cultural landscape of northern Germany in the 1960s.

When Nidus discovered the house in 2020, much of its original simplicity had been lost to modern renovations—plastic roof extensions, shutters, and painted windows had distorted its appearance. Instead of making radical changes, Nidus opted to preserve its modest exterior and highlight the subtle local craftsmanship. Today, the house blends seamlessly into the landscape of fields, meadows, and the nearby dike of the Wadden Sea National Park.

The interior reflects the same minimalist atmosphere, with materials like oiled pine wood, whitewashed plaster, and vintage furniture from the 60s and 70s. Nidus designed a small wall cabinet inspired by this project, capturing the essence of the house—a little treasure chest, much like the house itself. The former barn now houses a small guesthouse. The interior walls were removed, and a small bathroom was added. Through the new round window, guests can gaze from their bed across the wide fields all the way to the dike.

The garden is left in its natural state. In the small orchard, under the four gnarled apple trees arranged in a square, there is a shaded spot for breakfast. A meadow now grows where the potato field once was. The trees along the property’s edges have been pruned, opening up views in all directions. Great attention was paid to the details during the facade renovation: the gable end was restored by a local mason to its original design—slightly recessed with no roof overhang. The new clay tiles glow in a rich orange-red, echoing the brick facade, and much of the masonry was repointed. To emphasize the simplicity of the house, white wooden casement windows were installed on the ground floor, allowing for optimal ventilation.