The proposal by Coldefy and DDS aligns with the two plots assigned to the project, featuring a formal configuration that contributes to creating a coherent whole. The U-shaped layout of the first plot allows for the creation of a volumetrically open community space at its corners and is delimited to the south by the intervention on the second plot, parallel to the lake. The interior space, designed following strategic transitions between public, semi-public, and private areas, has been carefully landscaped on a stepped hillside, with landscaping that respects biodiversity and local plants.
Intending to reduce emissions and improve long-term energy efficiency, the residential project incorporates an open geothermal system, rainwater retention, and green roofs, ensuring a fossil-fuel-free heating and cooling system. In response to the urgent need for urban adaptation, "Lake 11" explores how housing can offer density and spaciousness through a delicate balance between innovation, livability, and environmental responsibility.
Lake 11 Home & Park by Coldefy and DDS. Photograph by Tamás Bujnovszky.
Project description by Coldefy + DDS
French architecture studio Coldefy in collaboration with Demeter Design Studió (DDS) has completed the first phase of housing at Lake 11 Home & Park, a major new lakeside residential development at the picturesque edge of Budapest’s 11th district.
Coldefy and DDS were selected through a competitive process to design 175 homes for three lots in an eight hectare masterplan. Technical coordination was carried out by local architects Ötelem. The scheme provides a mix of one- to four-bedroom apartments across three typologies designed to respond to the topography and landscape of the site. At the north of the site, row houses sit on the highest elevation of the site providing views across the natural landscape. The park houses, at the east and west portions of the site, define the boundary of the residential parkscape at the centre, while the lake houses are located on the water that marks the southern edge of the site. The range of apartment types and flexible layouts support evolving residential needs, offering a sustainable alternative to single-family housing. The project aims to provide flexible homes to support changing work-life patterns.
Embodying Coldefy’s core ethos that weaving together nature and architecture creates enhanced wellbeing and quality of life, every apartment has private outdoor space in the form of a balcony or outdoor terrace. In addition, the design emphasises natural light and views outward to the surrounding lake and landscape, while minimising direct views into neighbouring buildings to ensure privacy for the residents. Each building is designed to be location specific, with stepped back volumes that respond to the terrain, minimising the density of the scheme.
With sustainability a key priority for developer Atenor, the scheme features an innovative open geothermal system, rainwater retention and green roofs to ensure a fossil fuel-free heating and cooling and system, reduced emissions and long-term energy efficiency. Soil probes drilled to a depth of 150 metres function as a cyclical conduit for heat throughout the year. In the winter, heat from the ground is delivered to the apartments through heat-emitting surfaces, while the excess heat generated in the summer is absorbed by the buildings and returned to the ground.
Terraces, biodiversity corridors with local flowering plants to encourage pollination, and porous paving are all key features of Lake 11’s landscaping. A large, playful shared seating area, and additional colourful outdoor furniture which appears throughout the development, encourage residents to spend time outside. Within a masterplan which preserves the natural character of the site and provides communal green spaces, as well as pedestrian and cycle paths, the design aims to foster a sense of community through thoughtful transitions between public, semi-public and private areas.
Coldefy and DDS’s design introduces different materials, building forms, and façade details to vary the scale of this large development. The project adopts a unified mineral cladding strategy, emphasizing material richness and harmony with the natural setting. The façades of the row and park houses feature varied tones of textured brick, creating visual warmth and a sense of grounded permanence, while the lake houses are clad in fibre cement panels, complemented by aluminium detailing and exposed concrete elements for a clean, contemporary finish. The variation in materials across the site works to break down the scale of the development and gives each volume a distinct identity. Every apartment has its own additional storage unit in the basement, and there are enclosed areas for shared bike and buggy parking.
Upon completion, the Lake 11 Home & Park development will offer a total of 897 new homes, opening a new chapter of residential typologies in Budapest and presenting a community within the city where residents can experience the benefits of the natural landscape within a short commute of the city centre.
“Housing is one of the most meaningful ways in which architecture engages with urban life. As cities face growing pressure to adapt, Lake 11 explores how housing can offer both density and spaciousness, connecting residents to nature and one another. Initiated during the covid pandemic lockdowns, the project reconsiders the multifaceted role of the home – not just as a private space, but as part of a shared environment. The design was shaped through close collaboration between international and local teams, aiming to balance innovation, livability, and environmental responsibility.”
Zoltán Neville, partner at Coldefy.
