This house near Helsinki is perched on a rocky cliff, facing the Baltic Sea and with a curved shape that houses a terrace sheltered from the strong wind.
Local studios Mer Architects and Ettala Palomeras Architects collaborated on the design of Villa K, located in the Spjutsund area along the coast of the Finnish capital. The guests, a couple in their forties, wanted to build a new house after the departure of their children. They bought this land occupied by a hut with its own little bit of shoreline, steep rocky cliffs, a stream, a wetland and a mossy forest. The new building occupies the same footprint as the small cabin.
Clients requested a house with natural and raw materials, and wished the building to be built with prefabricated concrete elements. The evening sun and the sea to the west and northwest were the starting point of the development. The building stands from a set of wide stairs. The majority of the building is perched on the edge of the rock. A visible basement on the north side houses the compact sauna, as well as a small gym, storage space and technical rooms. The bent plane extends around the self-supporting rock on the east side of the house and creates space for a terrace that is sheltered from the cold winds of the sea. The steps at the front of the building also lead to to a sheltered terrace outside the entrance to the main living areas, which occupy the entire ground floor.
A sliding glass door next to a suspended fireplace connects the living area with the sheltered terrace facing the forest. The master bedroom is installed on a mezzanine at the highest point of the house, accessible by a staircase with solid oak steps. A small office at the back of the ground floor and a mezzanine bedroom both have sliding doors opening onto terraces with sea views. The materials used throughout the project are chosen to complement the natural setting and create the feeling of a rugged hull protecting a warm and comfortable interior.