ArchShowcase Sumit Singhal
Sumit Singhal loves modern architecture. He comes from a family of builders who have built more than 20 projects in the last ten years near Delhi in India. He has recently started writing about the architectural projects that catch his imagination. Villa in Aarhus, Denmark by Friis & MoltkeFebruary 18th, 2014 by Sumit Singhal
Article source: Friis & Moltke This functional villa, situated near the city of Aarhus, is built on an undulating plot at the fringe of the forest. The spot is remarkable for the beauty of its scenery, but it also poses a challenge for the architect. The answer to this challenge is a “folded disc”- design which allows you to enter the front of the house at one level, but to access the garden from the house at two levels. The house itself gives off a dynamic feeling of interaction with the plot and the landscape. To achieve this effect, the horizontal lines are complemented by a slanting roof and together they frame a pleasantly private space with respect for the surrounding nature.
The dominating element of the design – and the principal architectural feature of the interior of the house – is a 14.5 meters long wall, planked with oiled oak veneer. The wall is a decorative element providing warmth and texture to the house as well as a functional basis for the kitchen inventory, a cozy niche and the living room library. The oak wall creates a unique and meditative atmosphere with clear reference to the Scandinavian nature and tradition and also reveals a trace of inspiration from Japanese culture. All floors are coated with polished concrete and the “raw” style is seen through all the way to the ceiling for which is chosen perforated acoustic plaster. Great panorama windows, spanning from floor to ceiling, invite in light and nature and create an experience of fluid transition between the inside and the outside. In the back of the living room, a special window seems to have been “cut out” of the thick outer wall to the effect of making the natural scenery outside look almost like a painting. The two children´s rooms at the bottom level have windows to the garden while the master bedroom offers a secluded retreat towards the back of the house. A characteristic of the house is the conjugation of different materials: Stone and concrete contribute to the raw and textured qualities of the house while the oak wall brings warmth and depth and the plaster functions as a decorative acoustic ceiling. Friis & Moltke FRIIS & MOLTKE is a modern architecture studio that has been among the leading firms of Danish architects since it was founded. FRIIS & MOLTKE has been the motive force behind a wide range of architectural projects from single family houses and subsidised accommodation to big, exclusive housing units, and from small public institutions to major planning and building projects that include hospitals, prison, stadiums, administration buildings, and institutes of education – always with sympathetic insight into the preconditions for the task and the client’s needs, based on holistic thinking and simplicity. Many of FRIIS & MOLTKE’s projects originated in architecture competitions won by the firm. Working on competitions is a source of change, new approaches, and professional development, and ensures the constant development of our competences and views of architecture. The results from the drawing office are created through cooperation – both with our clients and at the studio. FRIIS & MOLTKE is active in Denmark and abroad and the firm is currently engaged in projects in Germany, Ireland, Turkey, and Korea. FRIIS & MOLTKE was founded in 1954 by Knud Friis and Elmar Moltke. Today, FRIIS & MOLTKE is a limited company with 55 employees who work at studios in Århus, Aalborg, and Køge, and is owned by the five partners: Palle Hurwitz, Niels Erik Thomsen, Mikkel Wienberg, Martin Wienberg, and Mogens Husted Kristensen. Contact Friis & Moltke
Category: Villa |