Kattegat House, Southern Sweden Home Development, Swedish Architecture Project, Images
Kattegat House in Southern Sweden
10 Nov 2020
Kattegat House
Design: Strom Architects
Location: Southern Sweden
Kattegat House is a private house on the West coast of Southern of Sweden, not far from where Magnus Ström grew up. It is an extremely exposed site, but with stunning views and the personal connection with Magnus, it was an especially interesting challenge.
The site slopes gently towards the sea, but is also exposed to a public footpath and views into the site. Strom Architects created a stone wall to define the ‘habitable’ zone, and this creates a physical boundary providing privacy. On the inside of the wall, they terraced the ‘habitable’ zone thus creating a hierarchy of plateaus on which different functions of the house were placed. The outdoor pool is positioned right inside the wall in an area completely protected from external views, but also from westerly winds.
On the top plateau, we place a service-building containing entrance, garage and store. The kitchen, dining and living areas are placed at 90 degrees to the terraces with a strong direction towards the sea.
On the lower plateau, Strom Architects place a private bedroom wing and guest wing respectively on either side of the living room. These wings then enclose two courtyards: one for sculpture, and one for outdoor living with external kitchen. All bedrooms, as well as living areas, have a sea view.
Finally the architects create a deep facade with fins. These fins create a zone that allows a private terrace outside each bedroom, but they also provide protection from views into the house when viewed obliquely. The set back of the glazing allows the roof overhang to provide solar shading in the summer months. Recessed steel shutters can be closed when the winter storms are their worst.
The house is designed to be built out of a concrete frame, and walls and fins are of Petersen Kolumba bricks. The language of concrete and brick is showing an ‘honesty of construction’ while at the same time providing an extremely robust building fabric that will weather well in this exposed location.
Key products
Concrete, Petersen Kolumba Bricks.
Challenges
The site, although with stunning views, posed a number of challenges for us. A public footpath that allowed views into the site and the very exposed nature of the coastline required a clever and creative approach to the design.
Brief
The brief was to design a family house, but that would allow children and grandchildren to use this as an extended home.
Sustainability features
The house being in situated in Sweden is designed to have very high levels of insulation, as well as being very airtight reducing the heating need.
A groundsource heat pump (boreholes) provides heating.
High thermal mass and the deep facade reduces overheating in summer months. Low winter sun offers passive solar heat gain. Comfort cooling on those few hot days, is provide by utilising the boreholes and circulation cooling.
PVs on the roof help power the GSHP. Batteries will also be used to store electricity.
The architects designed a house with two courtyards. These allow outdoor living, even when the westerly winds are strong.
Materials such as brick and concrete were chosen as the house needed to be robust and withstand the elements.
Finally, a wall defines the “garden” and creates privacy and protection from the elements.
Kattegat House on the coast of Southern Sweden – Building Information
Architects: Strom Architects
Start date: t.b.c.
Project size: 700 sqm
Building levels: 1
Images: nu.ma
Kattegat House, Southern Sweden images / information received 101120
Location: Sweden, north east Europe
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