Drevviken House, image courtesy of Claesson Koivisto Rune

In Sweden, Claesson Koivisto Rune recently has completed a house near the Drevviken lake with its own little cove.

+ Project description courtesy of Claesson Koivisto Rune

Only ten minutes from Stockholm centre lies this piece of surprisingly un-touched natural landscape hidden. The lot is directly on the Drevviken lake with its own little cove. The crescent of the cove follows the slightly bowl-shaped land that also gave the shape of the house. The house is itself a kind of up-turned crescent with foundation and roof lines in parallel curves. With three different floor levels inside, the land could be left un-touched for the building. So the sculptural quality of the house follows the nature of the site rather than being a gesture.

Drevviken House, image courtesy of Claesson Koivisto Rune

The house is fairly closed towards the street creating a kind of bulkhead between private and public, for both the house and the entire lot.

The direction is broadside toward the lake and the view. The entrance is mid-ship from the street behind, via the central terrace. To the one side from here is the main house, and to the other is the guest wing with home office and garage. From the central dining and kitchen area, as well as from the home office and bedrooms at either ends of the house, the windows are individually angled toward their best views of the lake.

Drevviken House - Floor plan, drawing courtesy of Claesson Koivisto Rune

+ Project credits / data

Project: Drevviken House
Architect: Claesson Koivisto Rune Arkitektkontor AB
Team: Mårten Claesson, Eero Koivisto, Ola Rune, Kumi Nakagaki
Location: Farsta, Sweden
Builder: John Larsson
Construction: Concrete slab, white stucco light concrete walls
Floor area: 280 m2
Year: 2010
Photographer: Louise Billgert

+ All images and drawings courtesy of Claesson Koivisto Rune | Photo by Louise Billgert

The young Danish architectural firm, WE Architecture, designed this TT-Villa located in one of the most attractive island in asia – Phuket, Thailand. The house is composed of 3 linear forms which are well integrated into the landscape.

We have chosen to split the program of the house into three categories. These are divided on three floors with the most public functions on top, close to where you enter the building. Semi private functions in the middle and the most private functions at the lower level.

WE Architecture

TT-Villa, image courtesy of WE Architecture

+ Project description courtesy WE Architecture

THE LUXURY OF THE SURROUNDINGS
Designing in perfect surroundings asks for a building which gives optimal experiences of the environment. This is the case with TT-villa which is situated on a west facing hillside near the sea, among vigorous vegetation which spans from tall palm trees and rhododendron to orchids and lotus flowers. The luxury of the surroundings is the corner stone of this project. We have tried to create a building where both interior and exterior has equal contact to nature and sea. An inhabitable oasis in the midst of the wild, with the commodities of modern living.

TT-Villa, image courtesy of WE Architecture

STEP 1-2-3
The building site is situated on a steep rocky terrain, between the road on the upper part of the hill and the beach 100 meters below. As a stair, sometimes hovering above nature, and sometimes carved into the rock, the building steps down the hill providing interior and exterior access between the arrival on the top of the building and the beach below. Along these paths the layout of the house provides terraces connected to the different functions of the building. Nature can grow unobstructed between the building volumes. The dramatic spans and sharp geometry of the building creates a counterbalance to the embracing nature.

TT-Villa, massing diagram courtesy of WE Architecture

ORGANIZATION
We have chosen to split the program of the house into three categories. These are divided on three floors with the most public functions on top, close to where you enter the building. Semi private functions in the middle and the most private functions at the lower level.

TT-Villa, image courtesy of WE Architecture

TERRACES
By offsetting the three floors from each other we create additional terraces.

VIEW 360
Rotating the floors opens up the house towards the sea and maximizes the area of terraces.

LIFE BETWEEN NATURE
Instead of having a backside as in a traditional cliff side villa the building is now placed with views both towards the sea and the green rocky slope. The vegetation grows between the different floors of the building blurring the notion of what is inside and outside.

SUN TERRACES
Surrounded by vegetation on all sides on all sides the sun terraces are posed as a piece of domesticated nature on the inaccessible slope.

• The upper terrace becomes a “mirador” that greets you welcome at your arrival to the house. An ideal place for enjoying a sunset.
• The central terrace, closely connected to the kitchen is laid out with exterior bar, barbecue and dining facilities.
• The lower terrace ( in connection with the living room) features a pool and space for sunbathing.

TERRACE IN THE SHADE
As an addition to the outdoor spaces the interior of the house can work as covered terraces. The rooms have panoramic sliding windows and can open up letting in the breeze from the sea.

TT-Villa, image courtesy of WE Architecture

CLOSED
While closed the blindings provide both shade and intimacy without obstructing the magnificent views surrounding the house. The house becomes a shaded hideout from where you can sit among the vigorous vegetation overlooking the sea.

TT-Villa, image courtesy of WE Architecture

SEMI-OPEN
Folding up the blindings provides framed views while still having spaces in the hidden. The blinding system ensures protection from the sun.

TT-Villa, image courtesy of WE Architecture

OPEN
Opening up the blinding system completely, gives you picturesque views still not allowing the sun to enter the house. Opening the sliding windows converts your living, dining or bedroom into covered terraces.

TT-Villa, circulation diagram courtesy of WE Architecture

INTERIOR CIRCULATION
The house is vertically connected by spiralling stairs where the building volumes meet. The circulation is a continuous movement connecting the top of the building where you arrive with the beach below.

EXTERIOR CIRCULATION
As in the interior, the exterior circulation connects the top of the hill with the sea in the bottom. The path serves as a connector between the terraces on the roofs of the building.

+ Project credits / data

Project: TT-Villa
Design: WE Architecture
Assignment: private assignment
Type: Private villa
Client: Classified
Size:450 m2
Place: Phuket, Thailand
Year: 2009
Collaborators: Uwe Wuterich
Team: Marc Jay, Julie Schmidt-Nielsen, Hochung Kim

+ All images and drawings courtesy of WE Architecture