Cabin Åkvåg

English description provided by the architects.

The cabin is located in the coastal area of southern Norway, characterized by summer cabins, small communities with residential houses, and some old farmsteads.

The landscape is hilly, with a vegetation consisting of primarily of pine and deciduous trees, such as oak, birch and aspen.

The building is located on the edge between the slope and the plateau, to keep as much outdoor living space as possible. By making a slightly open L-shaped plan, the building volume constitutes an enclosed private space together with the row of boulders.

The linear building is organized with the common functions in the middle, where the volume bends, and the private functions in each end.

The shifting relation to the terrain on each side gives a wide range of different outdoor spaces surrounding the cabin. The main entrance by stairs is slightly elevated above the ground.

From the dining area, large sliding doors can be opened, to step directly onto the bedrock. Outside the kitchen lies the roof-covered outdoor space, also bending around the corner and leading to the porch on the north side.

The bedrooms and the living room have direct access to the porch, which ends in stairs, leading down to the bottom of the slope.

The main idea for the construction is to touch the terrain as little as possible, and to step down with the slope.

The wooden pillars are fixed directly to the terrain with a steel rod, leaving minimal traces if a future deconstruction takes place.

On the outside it is painted red, and on the inside primarily untreated, except for the floor and windows which are treated with oil. The exposed pillars are made from solid wood, and the paneling of homogeneous pine.