Lagnö House, Tham & Videgård Arkitekter2012 10

A long and narrow series of gabled volumes mimic the boathouse architectural typology commonly seen on the Stockholm archipelago in this modern residence by Swedish firm Tham & Videgârd Arkitekter. The striking line of five triangular roofs recall this shape yet subvert it by choosing hard, cold concrete as a main material rather than the lightness of the vernacular wood.

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Concrete summerhouse patio

The home is split into two distinct sections, separated by a glass canopy sheltering the entrances to both the common rooms and the master suite of the home. The larger volume contains a living and dining room that appear deceptively shallow from the outside.

Concrete summerhouse view
concrete summerhouse interior

The pale plywood panels seen just beyond these cozy, modest living spaces are not walls but doors, sliding open to offer access to additional rooms, including three bedrooms, a bathroom and a kitchen.

concrete summerhouse loft

The texture of that plywood continues to the exterior of the home, as the concrete was cast against wood for a tactile appearance. The architects chose concrete in homage to the bedrock of the archipelago, referencing the setting in yet another subtle way.

Concrete summerhouse terrace

“The setting is the Stockholm archipelago, natural ground sloping gently down to the sea in the south, mostly open with a few trees and bushes. Unlike other projects we worked on located on more isolated islands in the archipelago without car access from the mainland, this site was relatively easy to reach also with heavy transports. This, together with the client’s desire for a maintenance-free house inspired us to search for a way to design the house as an integral part of nature, where the material’s weight and color scale connects to the archipelago granite bedrock, rather than a light light wooden cottage.:

Concrete summerhouse exterior

“The two building volumes are placed side by side and form a line that clarifies their position in the landscape, just at the border where the forest opens up out onto the bay. When approached from the north, the entrance presents itself as an opening between the buildings giving direction towards the light and water. It is a first outdoor space protected from rain by a pitched canopy of glass.”