Allotment House
ALLOTMENT HOUSE
Kristian Olesen
ARCHITECTS
Kristian Olesen
LOCATION
Aarhus, Denmark
CATEGORY
Houses
PROJECT YEAR
2018
AREA
50.0 m2
MANUFACTURERS
Duravit, Forbo Flooring Systems, VELUX Group, Fyravindar, Pavigrés, ROCKWOOL, Superwood
Text description provided by architect.
The house is located in western Aarhus on the scenic area around the Brabrand-lake. The grounds overlook the meadow by the lake and are situated along the public path circeling the lake.
The design of the house is inspired by the Nordic tradition of allotment houses: Small self-built wooden houses often built in recycled materials.
The gardens serve as recreational getaways from city life with room for living life closer to nature and with the space to grow your own vegetables.
The placement of the house creates a sunny garden connected to the surrounding landscapes.
Towards the south and west, terraces are established in continuation of the living room where the house opens to the views of the landscape.
The shape of the house is compact and adapted to optimize the limited space of the plot. The house is elevated on foundations to provide a better view of the surrounding landscape and ensure flood protection.
The interior of the house is organized as a single space that spans the entire length of the building. The space has a vaulted ceiling to reflect the exterior shape inside the house.
The space is divided by a central volume that creates to mains rooms. To the west is the living- and kitchen area and to the east is the bedroom.
The house can be divided into four rooms with sliding doors on either side of the central volume. A small entrance facing south and a utility room facing north with access to the central bathroom.
To the north, the practical functions of the house are placed in a continuous line that spans the entire length of the house.
The line contains storage, kitchen, utility room and outside shed as well as the outdoor kitchen.
The function-line combines the practical features in a compact solution that makes extra space for the rest of the functions in the house.
MATERIALS
The house is a wooden structure boarded with various wood surfaces.
The roof surface has boards on clinker inspired by an old Nordic tradition for wooden roofs and the boards continue down the facade to get a complete and calm expression.
Hence, the roof slope is integrated into the surface of the facade resulting in an undisturbed geometric form.
The gables are covered with vertical boards that contrast the horizontal boards on the roof and facade.
The vertical and the horizontal boards are joined in the corners between roof, facade and gable with a galvanized steel profile that gives the shape of the house a precise edge.
The windows are grouped with frames of douglas wood that cut into the boarding and introduces larger architectural motifs in the facade.
Between the windows, the facade is covered with vertical, untreated wood.
The roof and the facade is tarred with Finnish wood tar with black pigment and the gables are untreated and over time it will patinate.
It is the intention to create as simple an interior as possible to increase the sense of spaciousness.
The floor, walls and ceiling are covered with pine playwood to give a homogeneous and calm expression.
The central volume is also covered with pine playwoodbut in a smaller size to give it its own expression.
Doors and fixtures have pine playwood surfaces as well to appear as integrated into the architecture.
Over the sliding doors are glass sections that provide a spacious view al the way through the house.
