Nordic Office of Architecture has completed a concrete and glass house on the outskirts of Trondheim, Norway, that offers its occupants impressive views.
Villa Vatnan was developed by Oslo-based Nordic Office of Architecture for a steeply sloping site on the edge of a residential area.
With a concrete base and a glazed upper storey, the property was designed to make the best of the site’s awkward topography, offering expansive views over Trondheim while also protecting itself from harsh winds.
The main living spaces and bedrooms are accommodated in the elongated glass box that forms the upper level. This cantilevers above a solid base, to ensure that rooms are positioned in a good spot to face down over the top of the hill.
“The family desired a home for both everyday life and entertaining, where the primary rooms are all collated on one floor with generous sizes and well-resolved spatial relationships,” said the architects.
“By lifting this main floor up to one floor above the natural entrance level, we captured the best of the views and the sun.”
The floor-to-ceiling glass contains sliding doors, which connect the internal spaces with a covered terrace that stretches the full width of the house.
A private decked area beyond the terrace contains outdoor lounge seating and a dining space that extends towards the garden. Steps on either side of the building lead down to the street level.
From the street, the house’s gable end is predominantly clad in cedar wood, forming a solid surface that enhances the building’s sense of privacy.
The concrete basement level accommodates the garage, along with a laundry, storage space and a bedsit for guests. A wooden entrance door set into the concrete connects with a stairwell illuminated by a window on the first floor.
At the top of the stairs, a short hall leads towards two bedrooms and a bathroom above the garage. On the other side is the main living space, with a sliding door at the far end opening onto the master bedroom suite.
A simple material palette applied throughout the house lends the interior a distinctly Scandinavian character.
Exposed concrete walls contrast with natural pine boards that cover the entire floor, with veneered oak used for joinery in the kitchen, living room and terrace.
High ceilings and the expansive glazed surfaces emphasise the spacious feel of the interior, and the sense of it extending towards the garden and the view beyond.
Photography is by M Herzog unless otherwise stated.
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