Outdoor living as an interior design concept

What is ‘Das Haus’? ‘Das Haus’ in Cologne is an architectural/design event.  Planning and presenting an inspiring and conceptual house of the future.  A dream project for any architect or designer.

Every year, the invited artist has complete freedom(!) to design and present their own idea of how housing should look like and what we should strive towards!

I think it’s important to emphasize that the aim of ‘Das Haus’ is certainly not to present ready-to-use solutions, but to inspire a different way of thinking and to present new views and ideas!

This year, that opportunity was given to the Spanish designer duo MUT Design out of Valencia – Eduardo Villaon and Alberto Sanchez.

So, how does ‘Das Haus 2020’ look like?

It looks Mediterranean, of course. Minimalistic, but organized differently nonetheless. What was an inner yard – a place for meeting and gathering, now becomes a zone of privacy, an area for mediation and a ‘sanctuary’.

Other spaces – sleeping, cooking, hygiene and living – resemble some kind of porch rather than an actual room and they are fully outdoors-oriented. The barrier between the outdoors and the interior doesn’t exist anymore!

Life with direct contact with the outdoors, there are no borders! Life as it would look today in a modern interpretation of a Mediterranean house with an indoor yard.

“The design fits our need for a simple change from inside and out, for socializing and for seclusion.” – Eduardo Villaon, designer

All the furniture is intended for outdoor use. The kitchen is ready ‘right away’ for a barbecue, and the relaxation area doesn’t have a bed, it’s equipped with a hammock! The hygiene space is symbolically connected with outdoor space and water.

Most people would conclude that this is, in fact, an ideal holiday home. But to reduce this concept only to an escape from your daily life would be unfair. After all, wouldn’t it be nice to (at least try to) stop ‘escaping’ for a change?

White colors are aligned with earthy shades and plenty of terracotta give a minimalist, but also rustic feel. Since the living area is as connected to the outdoor area as it can be, the need for artificial lighting has been reduced to a minimum.

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Would we take better care of the outdoors if the border between the inside and outside spaces in which we live was a lot ‘softer’?

“Das Haus 2020 is nothing new or unfamiliar, especially in warmer climates. Mixing the outdoors and the interior is something which has already been done for years in Valencia. But, it was our intention – especially considering the rising global temperatures – to share the concept with the rest of the world.” – Alberto Sanchez, designer

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