This Circular Forest Home Is Inspired by the Trunk of a Tree

If you dream of living in a picturesque house in the woods, you might be envious of this latest project by Mobius Architekci. Circle Wood is a private home located in Izabelin, a village in Warsaw West County, Poland. The elegant abode has a circular floor plan that emphasizes views looking outward to the surrounding pine forest.

The woods gave the designers the idea for the home's circular form. “I thought of the house as a big piece of a tree trunk,” says Przemyslaw Olczyk, founder of Mobius Architekci. “Designing through reduction looked like hewing pockets of rooms and cozy, semi-private, glazed alcoves into the wood. Consequently, users can feel as if they are continuously strolling through the trees. It is full of glazing that blurs the boundaries. The plot offers the freedom, or rather intimacy of communing with nature and architecture.”

This Polish Nature Retreat Is Inspired By the Trunk of a Tree

The designers emphasized this relationship with nature through tall glass facades that look to the forest and allow the client to feel more connected to their surroundings. Still, Circle Wood is not meant to be a place to simply view nature, but it tries to become part of the forest itself. It is finished with Okoume wood, a material from West Africa that blends in well with the bark of surrounding pine trees. Some of these trees even overlap with the building area; they pierce the roof and extend into the courtyard of the home.

The spaces in the Circle Wood are designed similar to an art gallery, as the client wanted a unique environment to showcase his collection of artwork. As the architects began “carving” out space from the tree trunk shape, they allowed for wide openings of glass that let in plenty of natural light into the less private areas. Another unique feature of the interior is a dramatic spiral staircase that is seen in a double-height interior. It acts as an extension of the client’s artwork and is highlighted by atmospheric lighting along its sweeping profile.

Keep scrolling to find incredible images of Circle Wood tucked away in the pine forest and great shots of the contemporary interior.