The Brief
Larch House is a striking contemporary Baufritz home, combining the precision of German prefabricated construction with a warm, highly individual approach to interiors.Timber cladding gives the exterior a natural character, while expansive glazing connects the house with its landscaped garden, terraces and pool. Inside, rich woods, stone, textured finishes and confident colour create spaces that feel considered and expressive, with technology deliberately kept secondary to the architecture and interior design.As a Baufritz property, much of the home’s infrastructure was established before it ever arrived in the UK. The house was prefabricated in Germany, where the KNX infrastructure for lighting and heating control was pre-wired into the individual elements before being transported and assembled on site.The brief was to build on that intelligent foundation, creating a home in which lighting, climate, shading, entertainment and connectivity could work naturally around the owners’ lifestyle, while remaining as discreet as possible within the finished spaces.
The Solution
KNX forms the backbone of the home, bringing lighting and heating control together across the property. JUNG switches were selected throughout, providing an elegant and understated interface that sits comfortably alongside the home’s carefully detailed material palette.Discretion was equally important for the entertainment spaces. In the main living area, plaster-in speakers disappear into the architecture, paired with an 85-inch Frame display so that the technology does not dominate the room. Automated shading allows natural light and privacy to be managed just as seamlessly.The dedicated media room offers a more immersive experience, with a 120-inch screen and short-throw projection complemented by Bang & Olufsen front speakers and a Theatre soundbar. The result is a high-performance entertainment space that still feels very much part of the home’s interior design.Even in the more functional spaces, the same attention was given to simplicity. In the bathroom, discreet controls bring together lighting, ventilation, underfloor heating and the heated mirror, reducing several individual systems to an intuitive interaction.The experience continues beyond the walls of the house. External Wi-Fi provides reliable connectivity across the garden, while Sonance landscape speakers introduce audio without competing visually with the planting and outdoor furniture. Beside them, the pool creates another connection between architecture and landscape, allowing the owners to swim directly into the house.
The Result
Larch House is a home where the technology feels intrinsically connected to the way it was designed and built.From KNX infrastructure incorporated during manufacture in Germany to concealed audio, automated shading, immersive entertainment and discreet environmental control, each element has been considered in relation to both the architecture and everyday experience of the home.The result is sophisticated technology that rarely asks to be noticed. Instead, it sits quietly behind a characterful and beautifully resolved home, making its spaces simpler to enjoy – indoors and out.
