Villa Støa

Place: Svelvik
Project: Villa Støa
Type: Residental

Topological Landscapes and Additive Design

Nordic spaces are not defined by geometric shapes, but rather topological forms. The role of geometry is to ensure a formal relationship between the individual elements and the surroundings. As a general rule, the building should give shelter and create microclimates, while appear open and in a state of becoming.

See details Hide details

Coordinates: 59.6111°N, 10.4055°E

00.0000°N, 00.0000°E

Villa Støa is a simplified version of a monastery

The house is built on a geometric frame of 6x6m that contains the individual programs. The main element is a horizontal concrete slab that encircles the hill and serves as a programmatic barrier between day and night. The slab is supported by six vertical concrete foundations, and light glass boxes hang between them. Concrete and steel are used in load-bearing structures, and 3-layer argon glass is used for protection against weather.

Using a functionalist approach, the building is connected to the surrounding world with a road that passes through the site and touches the house's internal infrastructure, forming a roundabout. Both buildings express a state of becoming, trying to both anchor themselves to the landscape and free themselves from it.

An attempt has been made to simplify the architectural process, adapting it to the given conditions for the construction of a single-family residence

While lacking in figurative qualities, Nordic architecture makes up for it through a varied repetition of related forms and formats, that shape space and act as structural components, in relationship with the surrounding landscape.