Charred wood house uses mirrored glass to reflect the landscape

Here at Curbed, we love a cantilevering house. There’s something about the simplicity and drama of a geometric slab hovering freely in the air that gets us every time.

This charred wood house in Oberschlierbach, Austria, is a perfect example of the art form (and you get two trends in one). Designed by Sigurd Larsen, the “Mountain House” sits on a verdant, green hill. The lower level, clad in glass (including some mirrored glass to reflect the landscape), abuts the slope, while the rectilinear second story juts off the edge into a striking overhang.

Christian Flatscher

The main entrance is on the upper level, where a compact entryway and hallway leads to the pared back bedrooms with soaring sloped ceilings and large windows. A set of timber stairs leads to the main living areas, broken up by freestanding walls to delineate a kitchen and dining space with a built-in wooden bench, and a living room flanked by glass walls.

Christian Flatscher

The living room opens up to a concrete terrace that’s covered by the cantilever’s overhang, providing a shaded area for outdoor living—proving that cantilevers tick boxes for being both utilitarian and a plain pleasing architectural feature.

Christian Flatscher

Christian Flatscher