Best of est | Thatched Roof Homes

Once emblematic of centuries-old European villages, thatched-roof homes are making a thoughtful return to contemporary architecture. Traditionally crafted from locally sourced materials like straw and reeds, these roofs provided lightweight natural insulation and weather resistance, keeping homes cool in summer and warm in winter.

Today, the appeal of thatched roofs lies in their sustainability—biodegradable, renewable, and inherently connected to the landscape. In this feature, we uncover five homes across Belgium, Denmark, and Germany, where their thatched roofs reveal a reverence for historic architecture, traditional craftsmanship and the environment.

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JK House by Simon de Burbure Architects

Sint-Martens-Latem, Belgium

Wood, concrete, and thatch converge in Simon de Burbure’s design for the JK House, telling a story of refined materiality and balance. The facade makes an immediate statement with its two-metre-wide Afzelia wood front door, angular thatched roof, and low-slung concrete volumes.

The concrete has been tinted with warmer hues to complement the rich tones of the Afzelia wood, while a copper ridge tops the thatched roof for a subtle, modern accent. Shadow gaps separate the window frames from the concrete, allowing the soft interior glow to subtly define the structure.

To immerse the home within its natural surroundings, the original structure was lowered to sit closer to the garden and mature trees. The two-tiered terrace strengthens the connection to the landscape, with one column cleverly designed as a garden fireplace. Inside, de Burbure’s signature spiral staircase echoes the clean lines of the pivot door, while symmetry, proportion, and sightlines—his hallmarks—foster a sense of calm and quiet throughout the interiors.

JK House by Simon de Burbure Architects | Photography by Thomas De Bruyne

Brussels House by Nathalie Deboel | Photography by Thomas De Bruyne

Brussels House by Nathalie Deboel

Uccle, Belgium

With a brief to capture the owners’ yin-yang personalities, Belgian interior designer Nathalie Deboel has crafted a home of opposites just outside of Brussels. Raw and refined, dark and light, masculine and feminine, hard and soft—these qualities amalgamate to form a balanced, sanctuary-like home enveloped by nature.

“We aimed to convey a sense of blending their distinctive personalities into a cohesive whole,” Nathalie says. This involved engaging in one-on-one conversations with both to truly grasp how they view the world.

“We discovered that he was interested in the rough and honest qualities of materials. On the other hand, she is more sophisticated, which you’ll see translated in the more elegant, neutral-toned materials.” The juxtaposition of dark materials, such as walnut and black steel, and light materials, such as oak and onyx, is a further nod to the couple’s contrasting tastes.

Nathalie also approached the interiors to evoke a sense of journey, with the sweeping staircase marking the beginning of what she calls “a string of destinations, each with their accents which reflect the interests of the clients.”

Brussels House by Nathalie Deboel | Photography by Thomas De Bruyne

JVC Residence by Nicolas Schuybroek Architects

Knokke, Belgium

Architect Nicolas Schuybroek initially declined to work on the original house at the site of the JVC Residence in Knokke, Belgium. However, having already designed a home for the owners, he persuaded them that even a comprehensive renovation wouldn’t achieve their vision—it was best to start anew.

Conceived as a multi-generational holiday retreat, the brief was to maximise both size and functionality. The new build offers a contemporary take on the oversized thatched roofs commonly seen in nineteenth-century Belgium, still prevalent in Scandinavia and Northern Europe. Designed as a “family holiday hut,” the home features cement mortar-finished bricks and an arresting thatched roof, with a linear wall dividing the two parts of the house.

“We decided to keep the thatched roof entirely closed on the front façade, enhancing the hut feeling and reinforcing the scale of the roof,” Schuybroek explains. “This approach provides a sense of privacy while allowing the house to blend seamlessly into the landscape of Knokke, but with a subtle twist.”

JVC Residence by Nicolas Schuybroek Architects | Photography by Koen Van Damme and Claessens & Deschamps

Sandbjerg Residence by Norm Architects | Photography by Jonas Bjerre-Poulsen

Sandbjerg Residence by Norm Architects

North Zealand, Denmark

Norm Architects’ passion for locally sourced materials and traditional Danish architecture brought them to a private residence in North Zealand, north of Copenhagen. They were tasked with overhauling the interiors of an old Danish country house, complete with a rendered chalky taupe facade, paned windows, granite stone and a thatched roof.

The home is tailored to its residents through bespoke elements. Norm Architects designed a bench from sawn smoked oak and Royal Nubuk Leather from Sørensen Leather in the entrance. They also designed an elegant bar cabinet in dark oak and blackened iron. In the bedroom, oak-panelled walls keep hidden and open storage and storage niches next to the bed and in the bathroom.

The dining room is a standout space in the home, with a sculptural dining table at the centre. Evocative of a grand ballroom, chandeliers and large arched windows offer the space a stately atmosphere cocooned by textured walls and stone floors. These stone floors reappear in the bathroom, while Norm Architects selected Dinesen Douglas Fir Pine floors in all other spaces.

Sandbjerg Residence by Norm Architects | Photography by Jonas Bjerre-Poulsen

Nieby Crofters Cottage by Jan Henrik Jansen and Marshall Blecher

North Germany

Australian architect Marshall Blecher and architect Jan Henrik Jansen, both based in Copenhagen, were tasked with transforming a once-dilapidated thatched roof brick cottage on Germany’s Baltic coast. Dating back to the late 1800s, the cottage was originally built by farmers or crofters from a nearby estate, surrounded by barley fields and overlooking a nature reserve.

Abandoned for over a decade, the cottage presented significant challenges: a partially collapsed roof, low ceilings, and adjoining sheds at the rear. Preserving the cottage’s historic facade was key to the design, guiding the black-framed addition discreetly tucked beneath the thatched roof.

Inside, the architects transformed a warren of fourteen small rooms into a vast open-plan living area featuring soaring ceilings and a six-metre-long concrete island bench and dining table. Heritage elements, like small mullioned timber windows and exposed oak rafters, offer a respectful nod to the home’s past. In contrast, expansive picture windows replace unsympathetic prior additions.