Dezeen Magazine

TAF imagines an impossible house with posters for Paper Collective

Swedish design studio TAF has imagined a fictional house atop a platform balanced on huge rocks, which features on two prints for Danish poster brand Paper Collective.

TAF Architects prints for Paper Collective

Mattias Stahlbom and Gabriella Gustafson of TAF based their posters on a concept for a fantastical dwelling with a steeply pitched roof featuring a porthole window. They also built a scale model to explain the design.

TAF Architects prints for Paper Collective

"For the motif of the two posters we designed a villa of 125 square metres," TAF explained. "The concept is based on a raised ground level put on stones like a traditional old grain store from Sweden."

TAF Architects prints for Paper Collective

TAF's design for the villa simplifies and exaggerates the forms used to construct a typical house, with a large roof projecting over the boxy ground floor. "The oversized roof works as a symbol for shelter," they added.

TAF Architects prints for Paper Collective

One poster portrays the house's elevation, with shadows creating the impression of a three-dimensional relief. It sits on a flat plane supported by rocks with a single cloud floating above.

TAF Architects prints for Paper Collective

The architectural drawings from which the duo developed the poster show the villa situated in a forest with a staircase leading from the ground to the platform, which is surrounded by tree branches.

TAF Architects prints for Paper Collective
Section of the villa - click for larger image

A second poster design separates the scene into its constituent parts, including the house's roof, facade, structural frame and beams, as well as the rock, sun and cloud. These elements are arranged in a simple white grid on a grey background.

TAF Architects prints for Paper Collective
Front elevation of the villa - click for larger image

The posters are printed in a limited edition of 300 by Paper Collective, who produces them in Denmark using FSC certified uncoated paper.

TAF Architects prints for Paper Collective
Side elevation of the villa - click for larger image

The poster brand works with a number of graphic and product designers, who are each invited to select a charity to receive a percentage of profit from sales of the prints.

"Since it is close to our own practice we choose that our donation will benefit the organisation Architecture Sans Frontieres," said TAF, explaining their decision to choose a charity promoting awareness of community and international development issues within architecture.