Build from Scratch: Architects' Lake House in Denmark

The daily life of architect couple Sara and Mikkel is based in Copenhagen. Here they live in an apartment, and nearby are their jobs and the school their eldest daughter attends. The idea of acquiring a country house came to them when the family welcomed a second child.

Guided by the principle of ‘if you want to do something well, do it yourself’, Sara and Mikkel bought a plot in the forest by Lake Arresø and set out to build their dream house themselves, almost without outside help.

The couple completed the project in a year, dedicating weekends and vacations to working on the design. Children were brought along, and since the active toddler required a lot of attention, construction was delayed by several months. The first nights in the new home were spent after installing a wood-burning stove, which was the main source of heat.

The house turned out bright and spacious, with an open layout and two bedrooms, one of which was set up on the attic floor. There are no windows in that room at all, but light comes in through a slatted partition. This solution is one of the most striking in the house: natural light is sufficient even on cloudy days, and on sunny days, the ‘room’ is simply engulfed in brightness.

Most furniture items, including the sofa in the living room and bar stools, were custom-made based on sketches by Sara, some were bought at flea markets and refined over time. Materials were chosen rationally, like the bathroom vanity built from solid sheets of MDF left over after kitchen installation.

Looking back, Sara and Mikkel are convinced that the house could have been built in just a few months if they had worked every day. Regardless, the architects now have not only a new home but also new experience, which is just as valuable.