Project: House on an Island
Architects: Atelier Oslo
Location: Norway
Area: 753 sf
Photographs by: Ivar Kvaal, Nils Vik/D2, Charlotte Thiis-Evensen
House on an Island by Atelier Oslo
Designed for two artists on a rocky island off Norway’s coast, this small house integrates with the topography using concrete floors, blurring indoor-outdoor boundaries. A timber structure creates a play of shadows and filters light. A prefabricated annex ensures privacy, and all exterior wood is low-maintenance Kebony.
The small house is situated on an island on the south coast of Norway. The site is characterized by smooth and curved rocks that goes down towards the ocean. The house is built for two artists that wanted a house for contemplation and working.
You enter the project from the backside walking along a small hill. The entrance is a stair that goes through the building taking you to the entrance on the front side. The entrance sequence marks a transition and prepare you for the life on the Island.
The topography of the site was carefully measured to integrate the rocks into the project. Concrete floors in different levels connect to the main levels of the topography and create a variety of different outdoor spaces. The concrete floors and stairs dissolve the division of inside and outside. The interior becomes part of the landscape and walking in and around the cabin gives a unique experience, where the different qualities from the site becomes part of the architecture. From the concrete floors kitchen, bathroom and fireplace grows up to serve the inhabitants like furniture’s that sits on the rock.
A prefabricated timber structure is placed on the concrete floors and at last a light wood structure covers the cabin to filter the light and direct the views. The wood structure has a depth that creates a play of shadows through the day and a calm atmosphere resembling the feeling of sitting under a tree.
A small annex creates a fence towards the neighbor building and another sheltered outdoor space. All exterior wood is Kebony which is a special heat- treated wood that will turn grey and require no maintenance.
