Balancing on top of a steep, rocky slope facing the water, the gripping view of the landscape was a natural starting point for Villa Arkö, a small summer residence situated on an island in the Norrköping archipelago. Conceived as an archetypical Swedish summer house, the building is organised around three main components – the cottage, the insulated veranda, the outdoor terraces.
In the main building, ‘the cottage’, the more private space is allocated on the top floor. The ground floor adjoins the veranda as the social heart of the building, comprising an open kitchen, guest rooms and a lounge. A roof window allows the air to circulate, naturally creating a pleasant indoor climate.
The three volumes seem to descend the slope, simultaneously mimicking and accentuating it. The interplay between the volumes and the folds created all become actors in their own right. The outdoor spaces are defined by the different moods created: One for morning coffee, one for afternoon laughter, one for evening sunsets.
Clad in cedar panel that will weather into gray (the veranda roof in lush green sedum), the materials used are all chosen for their sustainability and aesthetic qualities. As they age, the building will slowly blend with the surrounding archipelago, becoming a mass amongst many in this landscape of blues, greens and grays.
In winter, the house is empty, the guests gone, the blinds shut. As the blinds shut, the façade transforms and the building changes character. The inherent melancholy of the summer house materialised.
Project: Villa Arkö Completed: 2012 Area: 200 m2 Type: New-build of private house Scope: Concept design to completion Procurement: Design and build contract Location: Arkö Client: Private Photography: Johan Fowelin
