Lillesteile in Oslo, Norway by Skaara Arkitekter AS

Article source: Skaara Arkitekter AS

Concept: 

In the outskirts of Oslo you will find this two-story modern house dug into a natural ridge, overlooking the Oslofjord. It is a response to the ongoing densification process in the city’s residential areas with mainly small-scale housing. Normally, new buildings obstruct the views and interfere with the established surroundings. This causes many conflicts, and therefore less successful sub-urban developments.

In order to preserve the views and privacy from the next-door neighbours, the roof height is kept at a minimum level, giving the impression of an adjacent garden wall, rather than a full scale building next door. Outdoor areas such as terraces and balconies are carefully placed to maximize privacy between the properties. The footprint shows a relatively small house placed along the property border, showing a different building pattern compared with what is normal in the area.

Image Courtesy © Halvor Gudim

• Architects: Skaara Arkitekter AS
• Project: Lillesteile
• Location: Oslo, Norway
• Photography: Ivan Brodey, Halvor Gudim
• Software used: ArchiCAD

Image Courtesy © Ivan Brodey

Layout: 

The geometric shape of the house has been stretched and shifted, both horisontally and vertically, in order to accomodate supplementary windows and terraces etc. This design allows optimal adjustment to the gradient at both ends of the building. The linear lay-out, together with the shifts, gives two axes easily observed when entering the house. This underlines the visual sightlines throughout, strengthened by the large sliding glass doors on the far ends of the structure. Beautiful wooden decks on the east and west ends of the house allows the outdoors to be enjoyed with ease, bringing the light and the views of nature inside.

Energy efficiency: 

Due to the house being set up to 5m below grade (at the highest point), a considerable energy efficiency is gained from geo- thermal insulation on the lower parts of the construction. The remaining external walls above ground are thoroughly insulated with 45cm of rockwool insulation. In addition there is a compact, highly insulated roof. The oak windows and doors hold an average U-value of 0,7-0,8. The superinsulated structure, together with a balanced ventilation system, with up to 85% recovery efficiency, achieves close to passive house standards.

Image Courtesy © Ivan Brodey

Image Courtesy © Ivan Brodey

Materials: 

Extensive use of natural materials contributes to high quality, sustainable living. The exterior wood rhombus-profiled battens are from heartwood pine, lightly treated with ironsulfate and pigmentation, in order to achieve an even patina overall. The green, natural sedum-moss roofing is aestetically pleasing for the neighbours, as well as offering the environmental advantages of absorbing rainwater and cooling the building during warm summer months.

Image Courtesy © Ivan Brodey

Image Courtesy © Studio Oslo

To compensate for darker underground areas on the entrance level, untreated aspen panels are used in combination with oak batten cielings. Natural polished concrete floors with integrated floor heating, adds to a warm atmosphere when entering. Upstairs, rough-cut oak and white pigmented floor boards welcome you and lead you to the living spaces, and further on to outdoor decks. A large skylight gives a spacious feeling, allowing natural light to penetrate down through the centre of the house.

The final result is a compact, sustainable house, built on a small site which could not have been easily developed otherwise.

Image Courtesy © Studio Oslo

Image Courtesy © Ivan Brodey

Image Courtesy © Halvor Gudim

Image Courtesy © Halvor Gudim

Image Courtesy © Halvor Gudim

Image Courtesy © Ivan Brodey

Image Courtesy © Ivan Brodey

Image Courtesy © Ivan Brodey

Image Courtesy © Ivan Brodey

Image Courtesy © Ivan Brodey

Image Courtesy © Skaara Arkitekter AS

Image Courtesy © Skaara Arkitekter AS

Image Courtesy © Skaara Arkitekter AS

Image Courtesy © Skaara Arkitekter AS

Tags: Norway, Oslo

Categories: Apartments, ArchiCAD, House, Residential

This entry was posted on Monday, June 17th, 2019 at 7:27 am. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.