Haus Blick: A House Carved into a Hillside

Perched naturally on a slope above Hinterbrühl, Austria, Haus Blick is a single-family home designed to treat the landscape as a design element rather than merely a backdrop. The work of Caramel architektInnen, the design works closely with the site’s topography and natural setting, using the sloping land as a driver of both spatial organization and perceptual experience.

Haus Blick: a natural extension of the hillside

From the moment you step inside, the architecture asserts itself, with light, space, and landscape interweaving in a single experience. Large glazed walls open the living areas to the garden and views, blurring interior and exterior.

The functional layout of the home follows the slope. The entrance, covered parking, garage, guest room, and mechanical rooms occupy the lowest level, while the bedrooms and private areas are on the upper levels, set into the hill for privacy. A large terrace off the primary suite offers sweeping views across the Hinterbrühl woods.

The central element of the project is an internal staircase that tracks the natural slope of the land, flanked by a glazed wall that amplifies the perception of light and the landscape. Running parallel to the interior stairs and separated from them by the glazed wall, outdoor stairs also follow the slope, creating visual and spatial continuity between the garden and interiors across all levels. With an elevator shaft already in place (currently used for storage), the home is also prepared for future accessibility.

>>> Discover Elysium Fields, designed by CLB Architects and WRJ Design in Jackson Hole

Welcoming, light-filled interiors

The heart of the home is the main living level, which opens both onto the valley and the hillside. Large terraces extend the living spaces outdoors, while a round suspended open-hearth fireplace forms the visual and symbolic focal point, marking the transition between the kitchen, dining, and living areas. Full-height glazing and shed skylights frame views of the surrounding pine forest, reinforcing the sense of living in close contact with nature.

A sheltered terrace on the hillside leads to a south-facing infinity pool with sweeping views over the surrounding hills. Here, architecture and landscape merge to create a single sensory experience of light, silence, and uninterrupted views.

The materials decisively shape the home’s atmosphere, with exposed concrete, terrazzo, polished concrete, and an aluminum façade in warm brown-beige tones creating an understated, balanced character. Each element reinforces the connection to the natural setting, making Haus Blick a visually discreet yet firmly rooted presence on the site.

>>> Discover Trousdale House, designed by Donaldson Partners as a place of reflection in Beverly Hills