Angular house in a forest near Helsinki

The property was designed by the local Ortraum Architects studio for a client and his family of five. It occupies a sloping site on the Jollas Peninsula in the southeast of the Finnish capital.

The orientation of the house and its plan were influenced by the proximity of neighboring houses and the desire to optimize the view and natural light from the windows scattered on each facade. The elevations of the house fold inward and outward, creating a recessed section on a sheltered outer deck, accessible from the steps that follow the sloping topography of the site. Vertical strips of wood covering the exterior extend to a sloping metal-clad roof that culminates at an angle facing the gravelled driveway.

The coating material was chosen to ensure that the structure attractively ages and is complemented by custom-made dark copper window frames. An entrance in an inclined niche on the north side opens onto an open-plan living area lined with windows of different sizes. The basement of the building houses a sauna and technical services, while a staircase rises from the living space to a higher floor containing four rooms arranged around a central landing. Each bedroom has a mezzanine that allows daylight to enter through four roof lights to illuminate the space. Openings in the walls separating each mezzanine create connections between the rooms. The house is also fun for children because it has a small climbing wall, a gym and a net covering a cut in one of the floors of the floor.