ARKÍS ehf.

VillaLóla

VillaLóla
© Courtesy ARKÍS architects

VILLALÓLA

ARKÍS architects

ARCHITECTS
ARKÍS architects

PHOTOGRAPHS
Courtesy ARKÍS architects

PROJECT YEAR
201

LOCATION
Akureyri, Iceland

CATEGORY
Houses

VillaLóla
© Courtesy ARKÍS architects
VillaLóla
© Courtesy ARKÍS architects

Text description provided by architect.

VILLALOLA

The design of villa Lóla was an especially enjoyable dialogue process between client and architect. Various ideas of materials, concepts and techniques where discussed in the process.

VillaLóla
© Courtesy ARKÍS architects
VillaLóla
© Courtesy ARKÍS architects

Inspirations range from Swiss mountains cabins, a sea ranch in Sonoma County in California, and Japanese solutions in spatial efficiency. Furthermore, the framing of views was an important topic of discussion. The natural surroundings of the site and the fjord of Eyjarfjördur were key factors to address.

DESIGN

The client requested the possibility to divide the house into three spaces, or apartments that could be enlarged or reduced as needed. Villa Lola is 128m² of gross floor area.

VillaLóla
© Courtesy ARKÍS architects
VillaLóla
© Courtesy ARKÍS architects

Another request from the client was to use low maintenance materials and to develop an inclusive approach with regards to the site and building. Based on these requests the design process started.

LOCATION

The experience of being on site played a major role in the design. The house faces Akureyri across Eyjarfjodur bay with unrestricted mountain views, to the north and south. Villa Lola is strongly rooted in its surroundings, playing of the dignity of the landscape and the uniqueness of his appearance.

VillaLóla
© Courtesy ARKÍS architects
VillaLóla
© Courtesy ARKÍS architects

The form of the building is composed of three peaks that point towards the sky, forming a valley between the roof slopes. The roof form is indicative of the landscape; mountains, valleys and a fjord surround VillaLola. 

The approach to the house is from above, which gives the building unique unrestricted views of Akureyri, the largest town of northern Iceland.

VillaLóla
© Courtesy ARKÍS architects
VillaLóla
© Courtesy ARKÍS architects

WEIGHT OF NATURE

It was decided to seize the natural gradations of the site where natural light and beautiful color combinations are formed at different times of the year, grass, straws, weeds and birch woods surround the house and elevate the exceptionally strong appearance of the larch surfaces. The natural landscape of the site was left undisturbed.

MATERIAL

VillaLola is built with a frame of sustainable goal settings. Villa Lola is clad on the exterior with Larch-wood. The larch is weathered to its nature gray-ish color, forming a natural weather protection.

All loadbearing members are of wood except for one concrete wall, used for stabilizing the structure, and a concrete foundation.

VillaLóla
© Courtesy ARKÍS architects
VillaLóla
© Courtesy ARKÍS architects
VillaLóla
© Courtesy ARKÍS architects

Flooring is of robust wooden boards and concrete terrazzo. Inner walls are gypsum surfaced stud frame walls painted with environmentally friendly paint. All windows are of wood, clad with aluminum on the exterior.

During the construction process the plot was carefully protected and the working space around the building was minimized.

During construction, all waste was carefully sorted and appropriate materials sent to recycling. The building is specially designed as a low maintenance structure.

VillaLóla
© Courtesy ARKÍS architects
VillaLóla
© Courtesy ARKÍS architects


VillaLóla
Sketch
VillaLóla
Sketch
VillaLóla
Sketch
VillaLóla
Sketch


VillaLóla
Plan

ARKÍS ehf.
T +354 511 2060
ARKÍS ehf.
Vesturvör 7 200, 200 Kópavogur, Iceland