House on Pillars / Sanden+Hodnekvam Architects

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The site is natural and lush, with rocks and a forest clearing preserved as the main outdoor space. In order to create good outdoor spaces, the building was then constructed on the least usable and buildable part of the plot. To preserve the topography the house is constructed on pillars. The site was 3D scanned, and the point cloud served as a basis for both digital and physical models for optimal adaptation to the landscape. The distinct load-bearing structure is visible in the exterior and interior while it elevates the building from the landscape.An open space with a considerable amount of daylight is located in the center of the house with a glass roof and big windows towards the fjord and the garden. The wooden construction is visible in the interior as well as the exterior of the house. Large wooden beams are left exposed. Walls and floors are covered in pine, with recycled brick floors in the winter garden and the sunken living room. The roof is clad with corrugated metal sheets, with overhanging eaves.The plan is generated from this constructional rhythm, with a core for bedrooms and a bathroom and circulation along the facades. The spaces are separated by sliding doors. Whilst open, they create sight lines across the length of the house, creating an open, free-flowing movement. The open plan and the contact with its surroundings generate a feeling of a house bigger than it is, while sliding doors create more private spheres when needed.Text description provided by the architects.Built for a young couple and their two dogs, House on Pillars had a simple and open brief; a good and sustainable house on a low budget. The long, narrow house is carefully lodged between existing rocks and trees. The house is raised on wooden pillars, keeping the existing landscape intact. The natural topography of the site creates a series of outdoor spaces and outlooks into the rock bed and treetops.