The single-storey house is covered with a traditional Falu Rödfärg paint to give it an austere appearance, while the symmetrical roof is clad with black tar paper to match.

Erik Andersson Architects used an exact 1:3 proportion to generate the dimensions of the building, creating a six-metre height, a six-metre width and an 18-metre length.

Located in a woodland area on the island of Yxlan, the building is constructed over a wooden podium that creates a continuous deck around its perimeter. This allow residents to sit in the sun at any time of day.

Large square windows meet the ground on each elevation so that different rooms can be opened out to the deck.

Contrasting with the exterior, most rooms inside the house have white-painted walls, floors and ceilings. The bathroom is the only exception and is lined with square black tiles.

A living and dining room occupies the central section of the house. A double bedroom sits on one side, while a bathroom, a single bedroom and a sauna are positioned at the opposite end.

The house also features an outdoor plunge pool, which can be heated using a wood-burning stove.

Stockholm firm Erik Andersson Architects also recently completed a pedestrian bridge with a built-in heating system to keep it clear of ice and snow.

See more houses in Sweden on Dezeen, including one with a glass-fronted lookout loft and one with an aquarium-like swimming pool.

Photography is by Åke E-son Lindman.

Here's some more information from Erik Andersson Architects:

Strict proportions by Erik Andersson

On Yxlan in the northern Stockholm archipelago, Erik Andersson Architects has designed the archetypal house. Designed strictly by using the proportional ratio of 1:3, the house measures six meters in depth, eighteen meters in length and six meters in height.

The facade windows also follow a clear pattern: they are all square in form and have the same size. The villa is situated on natural ground, surrounded by pine trees and spruces, and much of the surroundings have been preserved. A terrace runs around the building, making it possible for the residents to lounge and enjoy the sun at any time of the day.

Glass panels on both sides open views right through the house and provide a constant contact with the sea. The house is clad with horizontal pine panels, painted black with Falu Rödfärg – a traditional Swedish paint that can be traced right back to the 16th century – while the roof is covered with tar felt.

As a contrast to the black exterior, the interior is dominated by white. Everything from the walls and pine floors is painted white – except for the bathroom, where black tiles cover everything from the walls to the floor, and a window, high up in the ceiling, provides a glimpse of the sky.

The house also features a sauna with a panoramic view to the sea and the cruise ships passing by, as well as a custom made outdoor plunge pool, which can be heated for winter use with a wood-fired stove.

Project name: Villa Wallin
Type: Private Residence
Location: Yxlan, Stockholm archepelago, Sweden
Status: Completed
Client: Mats Wallin and Petra Ryrberg
Architect: Erik Andersson Architects
Budget: EUR 150.000
Size: 108m.

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Erik Andersson Architects appeared first on Dezeen.

Named Crescent House, the structure was designed by Andrew Burns with a symmetrical geometry that comprises two intersecting arcs within a rectangular frame.

Visitors are invited to follow the curve of the walls to a secluded space at the pavilion's centre, where light filters through tiny perforations to create a wall resembling the night sky.

The charred cedar cladding references the frequently occurring bush fires of the region. Meanwhile, the rectangular structure at the back frames a view of the hedge beyond.

"The pavilion has an ambiguous presence, between architecture and art object," says Burns. "The structure responds to elemental themes: darkness and light, the wonder of the night sky, the arc of the sun and the presence of bushfire on this continent."

Crescent House is the inaugural project in the Fugitive Structures programme, a series of temporary pavilions that will be installed annually in the Zen Garden of the Sherman Contemporary Art Foundation (SCAF).

Citing the Serpentine Gallery pavilions in London as an inspiration, the SCAF plans to invite emerging and mid-career architects to design the new pavilions, one of which will be constructed each year, for the next four years.

Andrew Burns also recently completed a pointy gallery and studio for artists in Japan.

See more architecture that features blackened wood, including a rural residence outside Melbourne and a temporary tower installed in Norway.

Photography is by Brett Boardman.

Here's some more information from Andrew Burns:

'Crescent House' is the first in an annual series of temporary pavilions to be installed at Sherman Contemporary Art Foundation in Paddington, Sydney. The aim of this 'Fugitive Structures' program is to engage a wide audience with architectural thought.

Two arcs are set within an apparently simple rectilinear form. The arcs bisect, creating a pair of infinitely sharp points and a threshold to the space beyond. This combination of fragility and robustness seeks to charge the conversations within the space with a particular quality.

The structure has an ambiguous presence; between architecture and art object. Through framing, it transforms an ordinary rose apple hedge into a landscape of beauty.

The pavilion responds to elemental themes; darkness and light, the wonder offered by the night sky and the burnt quality of yaki-sugi (charred cedar) recalling the presence of bushfires on this continent.

The pavilion and has been initiated and supported by Sherman Contemporary Art Foundation, BVN Donovan Hill, Andrew Cameron Family Foundation and the Nelson Meers Foundation.

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by Andrew Burns appeared first on Dezeen.

Ridge Road Residence is located in the grounds of a golf course on Mornington Peninsula and sits beside a tea tree on a gently sloping site.

Studio Four rejected the raised podium approach adopted by other houses in the area and instead planned a building that staggers down on a series of split levels. The terraces sit at the lowest levels, surrounded by long grasses that protect them from the prevailing winds.

An open-plan living and dining room opens out to one of the terraces, which is framed by a cube of timber columns and joists.

Inside this room, a double-height window stretches across the end wall to frame a view of the nearby tea tree.

"We sought to create a quality of space that provides a sense of sanctuary, enclosure and comfort," say the architects. "Emphasis was placed upon capturing the varying qualities of light, the scale and proportions of space, and providing a tangible connection with the building's surrounds, both in topography and landscape."

The kitchen runs along the rear of the living room, against a wall of matte black panels that conceal utility rooms. An ensuite bedroom is located just beyond and is raised up to become the uppermost level.

Black-stained timber clads the entire exterior, while each window has dark-tinted glass intended to reflect the surrounding landscape. "By using pared-back forms and detailing and a restrained palette of materials the emphasis becomes not on the insular and what has been 'designed in', but what nature has provided," add the architects.

All windows are full height to maximise daylight into the house, while concrete floors and thick block walls help to hold in the heat.

Other black houses we've featured recently include a weekend house in Chiba and a writer's hideaway in upstate New York. See all our stories about black houses.

See more houses in Australia, including an isolated hilltop house with a dramatic cantilever.

Photography is by Shannon McGrath.

Here's a more detailed project description from Studio Four:

Site Context

It is difficult to gain more than a glimpse of the dwelling through the surrounding vegetation. Where the house is visible, it blends within the landscape, the black timber cladding and dark reflective glass selected to help dematerialise the building form from its natural surrounds.

The front elevation comprises solely of blackened timber walls, punctured only to signify the entry. From the street the scale of the house is deceptively modest, the second, lower level is non apparent. The building form sits low, within the existing native grasses, promoting opportunities to connect intimately with the landscape.

Conceptual Framework

The site for this new house is located within the Moonah Links golf course, on the Mornington Peninsula. A simple brief and program requirements, teamed with a dramatic site characterised by a steep slope and a single tea tree, enabled the design to become an exploration into enclosing the basic rituals of domestic life within restrained building forms, whilst at the same time exposing the building's program to varying levels of interaction with the surrounding landscape, both immediate and beyond.

In stark contrast to the surrounding houses, which attempt to cancel out the sloping topography by creating a podium level at which the outdoor areas sit exposed high above ground level, the design for this house adopted a gentler strategy, with the building form spilling down the slope to terminate in a series of terraced decks. These low lying decks provide privacy from the golf course below, whilst the surrounding native landscape shelters the outdoor areas from harsh prevailing winds.

Varying levels of interaction and connection with the landscape, both real and perceived, drove all aspects of the design, from the channelled views of the horizon upon entry, through to the double height picture window that captures the full proportion of the tea tree, and the direct and intimate connection provided by the low level decks.

Program Resolution

We sought to create a quality of space that provides a sense of sanctuary, enclosure and comfort. Emphasis was placed upon capturing the varying qualities of light, the scale and proportions of space, and providing a tangible connection with the building's surrounds, both in topography and landscape. Through the building's design, the client is able to experience many aspects of the surrounding landscape, whether it be a direct or perceived experience, whilst at the same time maintaining a high level of privacy from the golf course below.

The form of the building was also driven by the desire to separate the public and private zones of the residence. The kitchen, dining and living spaces are combined to create a single, fluid area, delineated only by a gentle level change and a fireplace / storage element. These elements provide the level of intimacy required by the client whilst also allowing the advantages provided by open planning.

The panelised matte black wall to the kitchen conceals a powder room, laundry and butler's pantry, providing the high level of functionality required, while maintaining the calm qualities of the open plan space.

Cost / Value Outcome

Our challenge was to demonstrate that a custom architectural solution could achieve our client's budget whilst responding directly to the essence of the site and its location. The house demonstrates that we could not only capture the sense of place, but we could also deliver a competitive cost effective solution. By using pared back forms and detailing and a restrained palette of materials the emphasis becomes not on the insular and what has been 'designed in', but what nature has provided and drawing this readily available 'genius loci' inside for all to experience.

Sustainability Statement

The design for this house stems from an exploration into the absence of what is not necessary, in both building form and detail, which is at the core of sustainable design.

Renewable timber was selected as the primary building material. Used both internally and externally, its natural aesthetic properties are complemented by the low energy levels required in its production, which significantly reduce the environmental impact of the building.

Above: ground floor plan - click for larger image and key

The design located the eastern end of the lower level below the natural ground line, with concrete slab flooring and block work walls providing a high thermal mass, to balance the large expanses of glazing to the north and west. The upper level is cantilevered, with the timber construction incorporating high levels of insulation throughout.

Above: first floor plan - click for larger image and key

With views to the golf course to the west, all windows and glazed doors were double glazed with high performance glass, enabling a strong connection to the landscape without compromising the integrity of the building fabric. The existing tea tree became a critical element to the locations of windows, providing sun shading to the internal living areas. Access to daylight was maximised, with all windows full height, and predominantly openable to maximise natural ventilation throughout.

Above: section - click for larger image

These core sustainable design principles were teamed with underground water storage, water saving fixtures, low voc paints and materials, to complete the sustainable approach. Following completion of the house, the site is being re-vegetated with native species endemic to the local area.

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"I'm attracted to east London due to the feel of the whole place, and also it's a good vibe for any creative industry whether it's furniture design, graphic design or even advertising," says Pettersen.

He contributed a blackened ash and aluminium side table from his Locker furniture series to the Stepney Green Design Collection.

"The inspiration for the series came from those industrial lockers you find in factories in the sixties," he explains, also citing the luxury of eighteenth century France and the proportions of designs from the mid-twentieth century as muses.

The aluminium used for the side table drawer, anodised to create a unique colour, is punctured with small holes and folded over at the top to create the drawer handle. Pettersen's studio is in Stoke Newington, east London, close to Dezeen's office.

The Stepney Green Design Collection consists of 10 products selected by Marcus Fairs of Dezeen from creatives who live near to VIVO, a new housing development in the east London district. The project also includes objects chosen by east London bloggers Pete Stean of Londoneer and Kate Antoniou of Run Riot.

The collection is on show at the Genesis Cinema, 93-95 Mile End Road, Whitechapel, London E1 4UJ, from 10am to 10pm every day until January. After this, the objects will be given to VIVO residents.

See all the items in the Stepney Green Design Collection here and watch the movies we’ve featured so far here. The music featured in the movies is by American designer and musician Glen Lib. You can listen to the full track on Dezeen Music Project.

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creative industry" - Magnus Pettersen appeared first on Dezeen.

Architects Kayoko Ohtsuki and Alastair Townsend of BAKOKO designed the house for a Tokyo-based couple that wanted a second home by the sea. "He envisioned a rustic retreat where he can throw parties on deck and she wanted a high-spec kitchen, a luxurious bath with a view and her own hobby room for sewing projects," explained Townsend. "We developed a compact design to accommodate their varied interests with the flexibility to informally sleep five or six guests."

The entrance to the house is tucked inside a traditional Japanese genkan; a porch where residents can take off their shoes.

Most of the ground floor is taken up by a double-height living and dining room, which opens out to the sheltered deck that stretches across the facade. "To maximize solar exposure, the glazed facade is angled south, shaded by a projecting eave during hot summer months," said Townsend.

Stairs lead up from the living room to a spruce-clad mezzanine that is used as both a guestroom and a home office.

From here, a ladder leads up through a pivoting skylight so that residents can climb up onto the roof and survey their surroundings.

The bathroom is at the corner of the ground floor, beside a window that faces out onto a small walled garden.

The house also features an outdoor shower, as one of the residents is a keen surfer.

Townsend told Dezeen how the project was "almost aborted after the March 2011 earthquake," as the disaster forced the clients to rethink what the house might have to withstand. He explained how the house was designed with earthquake and typhoon-proof foundations and in the end the clients chose to proceed with the construction.

Other Japanese weekend houses we've featured include a woodland summerhouse and a house of two blocks beside Tokyo Bay.

See more stories about holiday homes or see all our stories about Japanese houses.

Here's some extra information from BAKOKO:

Onjuku Surf Shack
2012 Onjuku, Japan

Onjuku is a popular seaside resort and fishing town on Chiba's Pacific coast, about an hour and a half by train from Tokyo. The beach house is sited behind a bluff, 300 meters from Onjuku's famous white sand beach. Built for an international couple (the husband is a lifelong surfer who live and work in Tokyo), this weekend getaway may become a permanent residence once they reach retirement.

The home's concealed entrance is served by a Japanese genkan, a porch separating the home proper from a built-in shed for stashing surfboards and bicycles. This tunnel-like outer porch connects the gated rear entryway and the wooden deck which incorporates a built-in seat and planter. Timber shutters slide across the entire southern eave, securely locking-down the home to protect it from the seasonal typhoons.

From the road, the home maintains an intentionally low profile. Its austere stained tongue and groove cladding is sourced from native Japanese cedar.

Returning from the beach, a private outdoor shower leads directly into the tiled bathroom. An intimate garden provides a tranquil backdrop to the sunken bathtub.

The home's dark exterior skin contrasts with its light and airy interior. The double-height living space is occupied by a spruce-clad box that supports a loft space above and contains the master bedroom, WC, and bathroom below. Careful detailing has incorporated the staircase and doors that close flush to conceal these private rooms.

Sitting at the built-in desk upstairs, one can gaze out the sea for inspiration. The shallow pitched roof is accessible via a ladder extending into a large pivoting skylight.

Since the home is intended for casual entertaining, the loft spaces and a timber-lined lower study double as occasional guest rooms.

The home is predicated on passive design principles. Generous south-oriented glazing is shaded by the eaves in summer. Cross ventilation captures cool sea breezes. Slotted perforations milled into the wooden balustrade promote air circulation and cleanly conceal mechanical air conditioning units. In winter, the wood-burning stove provides renewable heat energy.

Above: ground floor plan - click above for larger image

Above: first floor plan - click above for larger image

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by BAKOKO appeared first on Dezeen.