Vega Cottage / Kolman Boye Architects

Architects

Kolman Boye Architects
Location

Vega, Norway
Architect in Charge

Erik Kolman Janouch, Victor Boye Julebäk
Area

140.0 sqm
Project Year

2012
Photographs

Lindman Photography

Text description provided by the architects. The house stands on the island of Vega in the Norwegian ar- chipelago not far from the polar circle. The site is distinctive for its grand and harsh northern landscape with wide pano- ramas of the Norwegian Sea and the jagged mountains rising from it.

Not far from the site, near the ocean shore, stands a group of traditional seaside huts, in Norwegian called Naust, whose forms and materials reflect many years’ experience of building in these conditions. The outermost hut shelters those behind – the huts being placed at odd angles to each other, partly due to topography and partly due to chance. The windowless weathered wooden facades have a straightforward tectonic and a strong material vocabulary.

We believe that good buildings engender the refinement of everyday life, having a curious, evocative and empathic na- ture. We have aimed to build a contemporary Naust with an unpretentious presence and a distinctive character, develop- ing themes from the vernacular architecture.

Seemingly growing from the landscape, the house sits on a rock beneath a granite shoulder negotiating the uneven ter- rain. As not to disturb the dominant view towards the sea, access to the house is given through a narrow natural ravine densely grown with gnarled birch shrubs and laid out with sea-sand from the nearby shore. The landscape remains un- touched and wild.

The large windows of the house face three directions, each with its strong unique characteristic. They are simple and ro- bust in detailing and the optically white glass conveys undis-turbed frames of the ocean, the mountain range and the bed- rock.

Organized on two levels adapting to the terrain, the plan is compact, providing generous social spaces within a limited floor area. The upper level is comprised of smaller scale bed- rooms and family rooms, whereas the lower level is a large gallery-like space structured around a stone hearth. Com- pleted in linseed oil painted pine with untreated birch skirting, frames and reveals – the interior is kept subtle with a character of being hand-built – promoting tactile qualities and the at- tractive patina developed over time.

Upon completion of the house the clients’ father, who spent his childhood in the close vicinity, visited the cottage. Being able to sit down – for the first time – sheltered from the ele- ments; he stayed seated for several hours silently observing the ever-changing light over the sea.