Published in 3/2020 - Craft

Leisure

Villa Furuholmen

Rå Arkitektur

Architects Gustav Jerlvall Jeppsson, Sarita Poptani
Location Kemiönsaari
Gross Area 440 m2
Completion 2019

Designers’ Comment – Sarita Poptani, Gustav Jerlvall Jeppsson: The plot, an island located in the southwest archipelago, was a source of inspiration with its precious and sensitive nature; its exposed cliffs and wild vegetation. Determined to lose as little as possible, the building volume is carefully divided into a series of dwellings propped on stilts along a trail, bridged together with terraces. The building is more a weaving wall reaching across the site, embracing and drawing the landscape into itself. 

For us, it was important to express humility towards the context through a rather modest architectural language and restrained material palette. It would be impossible to compete with the existing beauty of the island and a challenge for the large residence to blend into its surroundings successfully. Hence, using simple materials, stepping the slender buildings according to the topography and wrapping the house around particular points on site were the means to create a site-fitted dwelling.  

The client, keen to collaborate with enthusiastic and ambitious students, found us through the university. Eventually, the four-year process was defined by a constant dialogue between us, the client and especially the builders with whom we worked closely on structure and details. The building structure and surfaces are all wood, either pine or oak, with small brick and concrete details here and there. ↙

Photos Thurston Empson