Holiday Home in Iceland
The Setting
The scent of vegetation fills the air – birch, heather and cinquefoil. Spring has arrived. Trout ripple the smooth surface of the lake. A whinnying snipe circles noisily above its territory, a loud redshank struts along the shoreline, and an owl glides low in search of mice for itself and its young. Lupins spread across the delicate heathland, and midges politely nibble at those passing through.
The valley is enclosed by steep mountains and opens westwards. The lake fills the valley floor. In the distance, sea and sky meet at the horizon. The Northern Lights dance across the winter sky and reflect in the frozen water. Easterly winds prevail, yet on sunny summer afternoons a cooling sea breeze blows in from the west. The weather is ever-changing and unpredictable. The cycle of nature repeats itself: winter, summer, spring and autumn.
Concept and Integration with the Landscape
Larch-clad timber houses on concrete foundations are positioned on a shrub-covered slope descending south-west towards the lake. The surroundings shape the buildings, creating a new place that offers shelter and extends the summer season. The houses establish a dialogue between interior and exterior spaces, with materials chosen to harmonise with the land. They frame the spectacle of nature and the ever-changing views, which surprise throughout the year.
The main house follows a consistent contour line along its entire length, approximately 50 metres from the lake. A storage building with a sauna stands perpendicular to the slope. Together with a small stream that flows down from the mountain during the thaw, the two buildings form an entrance courtyard. Beyond the stream lies a small hollow and a sloping marsh surrounded by birch scrub.
From both the main house and the sauna, there are views across the lake towards distant mountains. To the east and west of the living room, which projects from the house towards the lake, are sheltered verandas opening southwards – a morning veranda and an afternoon veranda. Both are partially covered, providing additional protection. All bedrooms and the living room face the lake, while the kitchen, bathrooms, storage and entrance face the mountain.
Materials and Sustainability
The holiday house is designed for year-round use, well insulated and heated with underfloor heating set within a concrete floor. Interior walls and ceilings are clad in untreated aspen panelling, giving the spaces a warm and natural character. Acoustic fabric on the ceilings of the living room and bedrooms enhances sound quality. Built-in furniture and fittings improve efficiency and maximise the internal layout.
The roofs of the living room and storage building are finished with standing seam zinc cladding. Zinc sheets are also used for flashings at roof edges and for window sills above and below the glazing. Heather vegetation covers the roof of the long building. The exterior cladding is untreated larch, which weathers naturally over time.
Material choices are characterised by natural, durable and low-maintenance finishes. Care has been taken to minimise visual impact on the landscape, allowing the buildings to age gracefully and become an integral part of their surroundings.
