Woodland villa in Sweden designed by Max Holst with a blackened exterior

Site plan – click for larger image  
Ground floor plan – click for larger image  
First floor plan –   click for larger image  
Section – click for larger image The house is located on the   northernmost corner of the site – the area that appeared to have the best ground conditions – and it is set back from the road behind a smaller existing building. A void in the first floor gives the living space a double-height ceiling, allowing it to be overlooked from the first-floor lounge and study. The two floors interact through the large living room,» he said. Bare concrete retaining walls frame a terrace at the south-facing front of the property, allowing residents to make the most of sunny weather. «The planning of the house is simple, with the entrance level containing spaces for eating and socialising, as well as daily chores like cooking and doing the laundry,» explained   Bulus. Swedish architect Max Holst used a traditional Swedish paint to give an all-black appearance to the exterior of this woodland house outside Stockholm (+ slideshow). «To counter a box feeling and increase the feel of volume, a balcony was built along the southern facade,» he told Dezeen. The house accommodates three bedrooms that all share one bathroom, plus a guest room is tucked away at the rear of the ground floor. The family living room is located at the western end of the ground floor. Behind it, a wooden door forms the house’s entrance and a set of matching glazed doors open the dining room out to the space. It also wraps around the balcony, sheltering it from the elements. Parking spaces for up to two cars are sheltered are also included, sheltered beneath the overhanging upper storey. «The challenge here was to find a way to build a fairly large house without influencing the surroundings too much, while highlighting and enhancing the qualities the location possesses,» explained Deniz Bulus from Strömma Project, who previously worked with   Holst on a wooden holiday house in Vindö. Photography is by Fredric Boukari.