Studio Granda

Garður Landhouse

Garður Landhouse
© Rui Ferreira

GARÐUR LANDHOUSE

Studio Granda

ARCHITECTS
Studio Granda

LOCATION
Reykjavík, Iceland

AREA
68.4 m2

ARCHITECT IN CHARGE
Margrét Harðardóttir

CONTRACTOR
Trésmiðja Rangá

CATEGORY
Houses

PROJECT YEAR
2014

PHOTOGRAPHS
Rui Ferreira

MANUFACTURERS
GIRA, Emaux de Briare

STRUCTURAL & ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERS
Viðsjá

ELECTRICAL ENGINEERS
VJÍ

Garður Landhouse
© Rui Ferreira
Garður Landhouse
© Rui Ferreira

Text description provided by architect.

Garður is a large parcel of land on the east bank of the Ytri Rangá river. It’s a harsh landscape with scarce vegetation the result of ash-fall from the volcano Hekla.

Garður Landhouse
© Rui Ferreira
Garður Landhouse
© Rui Ferreira

Thanks to the client's vision and commitment, the denudation is being reversed by a remarkable reforestation program entailing the planting and tending of indigenous saplings to bind and shelter the barren surface.

The Landhouse is located at the heart of this project, tucked under one of the many rolling dunes that characterise the topography.

Garður Landhouse
© Rui Ferreira
Garður Landhouse
© Rui Ferreira

The living space and kitchen are centrally located beneath an in-situ concrete arch and are flanked by bedrooms, bathroom and entrance hall snuggled into sturdy buttresses.

The north and south walls are fully glazed framing Hekla and embracing sunshine respectively. The concrete floor is polished to a terrazzo finish to reveal the basalt aggregate and shell fragments that tone with the solid oak carpentry of internal walls and fitments. Before long, kindling for the wood-burning stove should be in plentiful supply.

Garður Landhouse
© Rui Ferreira
Garður Landhouse
© Rui Ferreira

The house may be small but scale in this environment is virtually infinite. Substantial earthwork berms key the house into the larger landscape, shelter the external spaces from inclement weather and culminate as a warm turf blanket, wrapped over the roof.


Garður Landhouse
Sections Elevations


Garður Landhouse
Site Plan
Garður Landhouse
Plan

Studio Granda
T +354 562 2661
Studio Granda
Smiðjustígur 11b, 101 Reykjavík, Iceland