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THE HOUSE IN THE TREES

25th October 2013

Can a house have too much timber? Well, I’d argue, it depends on the house, and, crucially, the location. This holiday home is located on Vindö, an island in the Stockholm archipelago in Sweden, and was designed by architect Max Holst to reflect and embrace its setting.

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The house is positioned on a ridge that borders a 10 metre drop into a gorge, and Holst designed the house on a series of concrete plinths that elevate the building so that it seems to float over the landscape while the surrounding trees appear at eye level. A deck wraps round the house, leading into the open plan kitchen, living and dining space, where large windows pull in the views.

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Timber lines the walls, ceilings and floors throughout, and the material also features in the kitchen cabinets and furniture. Is it too much? For some tastes, certainly, but this house is firmly connected with its woodland setting, while the interior feels tactile and organic. As the architect has said: “The material palette is simple and essentially rooted in local building traditions.”

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One of the features I particularly like about this home is the external woodshed, which sits at the end of a timber walkway, where the form of the shed echoes the house. This may seem like a small detail, but it’s a pleasing one.

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Photography is by Hannes Söderlund. As featured on Dezeen.