Project: Villa S
Architects: Saunders Architecture
Location: Tveiterås, Bergen, Norway
Area: 3,767 sqft
Photographs by: Bent René Synnevåg
Villa S by Saunders Architecture
Located in a suburb in Bergen, Norway, this modern residence has been designed by architect Todd Saunders of Saunders Architecture for his own family.
Villa S is placed on a large piece of grass-land and features a stained, dark wood clad exterior while structurally, it comprises of three stacking elements where one is vertical and the rest are horizontal.
In order to combat the colder climate of the northern hemisphere, each room has underfloor heating powered by geothermal energy while the outdoor areas such as the porches and terraces have been integrated with the structure to provide rain cover.
From the architects: “A vertical stack containing stairs and circulation is bisected by a vast horizontal beam that forms the core of the house, with the kitchen at its heart and one end supported by a generous utility area set at right angles to the main structure. Although it takes a single glance to understand the arrangement, the house is more complex than it first appears. Throughout the 300 sq m floorplan, there are spatial tricks, large terraces, hidden alignments and the kind of attention to detail that only an architect could bestow on his own personal space.
The house is set among a thicket of modern villas in Tveiterås Garden City, south of Bergen city centre. Once the site of a rural farm, the suburb was laid out by pioneering local architect Leif Grung in the early 1930s. Grung’s elegant functionalism has weathered well, and the immaculately maintained plots, with their verdant planting and far-reaching views, create an oasis of calm.”
