The former allotment garden, situated 5km from central Copenhagen is transformed into a compact house and garden for a family of 4 people. After several interviews with the client the result is a house with clear divisions between private withdraw and shared space, and despite a low number of square meters, a feeling of space and flexibility.
Through a door on the street you enter the garden via a covered terrace. A path leads you further to the house door. During winter the covered terrace can open towards the street and function as a garage. A service wall compresses all utilities inside the house leaving a maximum space for living and working for the family. The heart of the house is a long table placed in the large central room. The table is large enough to host family dinners and situations like playing or creative work, where all equipment and tools easily can be stored away in the compartments under the staircase.
For the private withdraw, niches are created like caves or alcoves from the large central room. Behind the compartments, in a hidden study, concentrated work can take place. Trough the kitchen a small living room connected to the garden can be opened and integrated in the covered terrace during summer. Windows in the ceiling towards east will ensure good light in the morning. Upstairs you find a niche with soft furniture and southwest orientated windows to enjoy the sunset over the roofs and gardens of the Island.
The house produces energy and heat through a combination of solar cells and geothermal pipes. Solar cells are mounted in the south orientated top windows covering 60 pct. of its glass surface. A flickering filtered light will shine through the solar cell panes into the living and sleeping rooms. The timber shingles on the facade will respond naturally to exposure to the elements, changing colour slowly over time to a silver-grey, and will last for a hundred years without the need for maintenance.
