Design Solution: The house stands on slender columns, giving it a minimal footprint, and is encircled by a cantilevered deck. Its main rooms are arranged around a fully enclosed atrium, alongside an orangery designed for year-round use. The project emphasizes sustainability through Northern European material choices, timber construction techniques, natural ventilation, geothermal heating, and rooftop solar panels.

The structure consists entirely of glulam columns and beams. Externally, the facade is clad in untreated spruce boards, and the roof is planted with sedum. Inside, birch plywood wall panels, pine slatted ceilings, and spruce flooring continue the use of natural materials. The atrium takes its cues from Japanese garden design, incorporating stepping stones, plantings, and shallow pools that collect rainwater from roof-mounted rain chains. Inside, the rooms are linked by uninterrupted sightlines and a high degree of transparency.

The house incorporates three climate zones: the atrium functions as an outdoor space, fully exposed to weather; the orangery, enclosed in glass on its roof and walls, maintains a greenhouse-like environment; and the surrounding rooms hold a standard indoor residential climate. The clients wanted a durable and practical home that could accommodate family and friends. Throughout the project, the design team specified certified, recyclable materials that require minimal maintenance. The planning process incorporated life-cycle analysis and cost considerations, resulting in a building intended to reduce both environmental impact and long-term operating costs.

Photo © James Silverman

Structure and Materials: The white-pigmented spruce flooring from Lapland meets the birch-plywood wall panels with a narrow reveal that creates a clean shadow line. At the ceiling, the walls terminate against continuous pine slats, a detail repeated throughout the house, including in the bathrooms; lighting tracks are set into the gaps between the slats. All interior doors are sliding units that retract into the walls. Their birch-plywood faces match the adjacent wall panels, allowing for an uninterrupted surface where wall and door meet.

Additional Information
Completion date: July 2024
Site size: .67 acres
Total construction cost: $1,200,000
Client/Owner: Withheld

Photos © James Silverman

Drawings courtesy Wahlström & Steijner Architects; click to enlarge