House in Koydu-Villa by Kadarik Tüür Architecture

Project: House in Koydu-Villa Architects: Kadarik Tüür Architecture Location: Estonia Area: 2,314 sq ft Photography: Tone Tunnel

House in Koydu-Villa by Kadarik Tüür Architecture

A single-story private house in the village of Koydu, Estonia offers different views from every angle and is designed to maximize southern and western solar lighting. The main building and barbecue house create an internal rectangular courtyard with golden ratio proportions for privacy. The living room is spacious and opens to the south and west with a terrace and a special solar window for evening light. The project uses wood in both structural design and facade, made from local Estonian laminated wood and larch that is weather-resistant and durable. The project is nominated for the Wooden Structure Award in Estonia.

A single-story private house located in the village of Koydu, Estonia within a private residential area. The building's geometry is inspired by the site and the movement of sunlight. The structure presents a flexible form offering different views from every angle, changing its shape to maximize warm southern and western solar light.

The main building was constructed on the western side of the plot, while the barbecue house stands on the eastern side inside a small hill and acts as an echo of the main building. Between these two volumes, an internal rectangular courtyard with golden ratio proportions is created. The landscape protects the courtyard from traffic noise and ensures privacy.

The spacious living room, with a height of up to 6 meters, is located on the western side of the building and opens both to the south and west. The living room is closely connected to the street terrace. The terrace's form was also designed to follow the sun and open to the south and west. The main part of the terrace is covered by a roof edge protecting it from rain. A wide overhang protects the living room from harsh and hot summer sun. In winter, when the sun is lower, light passes under the cornice and warms the building. There's a possibility that a neighboring house might block western solar light in the future. To maintain access to valuable evening light in the living room, a special solar window was created above eye level.

The main structural elements are made of stone and laminated wood. Facades are covered with stained larch. Natural resin from the wood protects the material and maintains its appearance for decades without any artificial additives.

The most important material in this project is wood, used both in structural design and on the facade. Wood is a renewable material with relatively low ecological footprint. The laminated wood used in this project's roof was made from local Estonian timber and produced by Arcwood, an Estonian company.

Facades are covered with stained larch. Natural resin from the wood makes it weather-resistant and able to serve for decades.

This project is also nominated for the Best Wooden Structure Award in Estonia this year.

- Kadarik Tüür Architecture