House RR by Norell/Rodhe in Granlund and Kvartersjon, Sweden

Project: House RR Architects: Norell/Rodhe Location: Granlund and Kvartersjon, Sweden Area: 753 sq ft Year: 2020 Photography: Mikael Olsson

House RR by Norell/Rodhe

Norell/Rodhe designed a unique summer house for a young couple with two children. It is located in the Swedish town of Granlund and Kvartersjon, south of Stockholm. The house sits on a plot surrounded by mixed forest and open fields, offering fresh views from all sides.

House RR is a summer home for a young couple and their two children seeking solitude from the city. Located south of Stockholm in a pastoral setting with mixed forest and fields, the house features an elongated interior space that is conventionally divided into public and private zones. The architecture of the house and its garden create their own world where summer living can flourish.

Approaching the plot, the house appears as a small gabled roof situated on a gentle slope of a hill facing the field. Ascending the hill and entering the garden reveals the main facade, with a rear veranda. "Instead of turning to the landscape and views, the house turns inward toward the wooded plot. The facade facing the garden, divided into five sections by wooden columns, gives the house a nearly monumental appearance despite its modest size," says Einar Rodhe, co-founder of Norell/Rodhe.

The extensive covered space between the interior and exterior veranda creates an order of columns and rafters, to which large open windows on the facade relate. Additionally, the veranda serves as a backdrop for daily life and vegetation on the plot.

The sense of order brought by exterior architecture is softened upon entering the house. The interior space presents a single large open area fully equipped with four smaller monolithic masses. Together with floor level changes, these masses conventionally define rooms that span the entire depth of the house. The hall and living room are separated by a cylindrical volume containing wet zones. Private areas are located on both sides of the inner space defined by storage volumes. Each room is further emphasized by a window or sliding door connecting to the veranda and framing views of the garden. Overall, this layout creates an informal connection between rooms as well as between interior and exterior spaces.

The relaxed nature of the spatial layout is reflected in construction techniques and use of simple materials throughout the house. "We wanted to create a diverse and multifaceted interior where various masses and elements would differ in materiality and finish," says Daniel Norell. The ground-level floor with the veranda shows a concrete base, while raised floors are made from treated pine. Storage masses are constructed from used cabinets clad in painted plywood, and the curved bathroom wall is made of marble cork material. The ceiling connects different zones through a rhythm of birch plywood panels.

The use of simple materials continues on the exterior. The roof and veranda are made from standard wood covered with thin corrugated aluminum. A gravel area near the house can be used for dinners and games.

Outside the house, existing site conditions are delicately handled and supplemented. Located on a promontory, the plot has many small boulders once moved by glaciers. These rocks are used in landscape design as boundaries, for retention, and as steps.

–Norell/Rodhe