Relatively small house with an area of 300 m2 located on the outskirts of the Danish city of Aarhus, as close as possible to the edge of the forest. According to local regulations, the owners did not have the right to erect a building above one floor and occupy more than 20% of the site area for it. The customer, however, needed a spacious and comfortable home for a family with three children. As a result, the architects have successfully turned all these difficulties for the good.
An almost square volume is delivered at the farthest end of the site. Its roof, which also goes over to two side walls, is covered with dark patinated zinc plates, and the facades facing the forest and the entrance have a continuous glazing front. This solution made it possible to closely connect the interior space and the surrounding nature: sunlight penetrates inside almost unhindered, and tree crowns that change depending on the season become an effective dynamic decoration. Landscaping was done by Kragh & Berglund.
The main entrance is preceded by a raised plank terrace, the steps of which can also serve as a kind of recreation area. More than half of the upper floor is occupied by a spacious living room combined with a kitchen. In addition to her, on this level is the master bedroom and a small guest room, which occupies the far corner behind the stairs. The color scheme of the interior, in full accordance with the principles of Scandinavian architecture, is very calm and light, devoid of bright accents and not overloaded with details.
To comply with the height restrictions, the architects "drowned" the building and the lower, "semi-underground" part was given to children. But the conditions created by them, of course, do not in any way resemble the crypts from Korolenko's story. In the center there is a play area, and around it there are three bright bedrooms, a bathroom and utility rooms. Two bedrooms face the main façade, into a low cobbled courtyard. Thanks to a special "window" in the shed, there is always a lot of sun here.
