Like most Finnish homes, a sauna was an important part of the brief and is sandwiched between the house and studio. A second building functions as a garage. This also creates a veranda around the entire perimeter, offering residents plenty of spots to take in the lake and forest. Most of the glazing can be found along the south and west elevations, with projecting eaves to offer some sun shading. In the largest of these two spaces, a wooden staircase ascends to a first-floor gallery leading to a series of en-suite bedrooms. «The design is shaped into a soft, organic plan that naturally flows into the landscape,» said Sanaksenaho. With an area of 360 square metres, the building contains two generous ground-floor living spaces, both featuring a wood-burning stove and double-height ceilings. The building was designed to fit in with its scenic setting as much as possible, so Matti Sanaksenaho chose an uneven timber exterior cladding that he felt would reference the verticality of the surrounding pines. Project credits:
Architectural design: Sanaksenaho Arkkitehdit Oy
Design team: Matti Sanaksenaho, Jaana Hellinen, Pirjo Sanaksenaho, Maria Isotupa, Aleksi Räihä
Construction engineering: Oskari Laukkanen
HVAC engineering: Esko Helin
Electrical engineering: Jarmo Nenonen
Site plan – click for larger imageGround floor plan – click for larger imageFirst floor plan – click for larger imageSection – click for larger image Wooden ceiling beams are left exposed and large window grids allow both spaces to open out to the terrace. An atelier occupies the northern end of the building. Black-painted slats in different widths and thicknesses create uneven ridges on the walls of this lakeside house in a Finnish pine forest (+ slideshow). «Load-bearing walls are constructed as timber frames, and the visible wooden roof structure was inspired by the veins of a tree leaf.»
The base of the house is raised up over the rugged terrain, reducing its impact on the landscape.
