Architects: GRAD arkitekter Location: Stockholm, Sweden Project Team: Sébastien Corbari, Malin Hultmark, Martin Hamdahl Structural & Façade Engineering: SD project Builder: Wonderbuild Project Area: 12 sqm Project Year: 2007-2009 Photographs: Sébastien Corbari
A single mother contacts us to build an extension for her villa.
The house has a very nice garden, which she loves and wants to enjoy from early spring to late autumn. The client has in mind a small glassed-in volume, an extra living room opened to nature for resting and socializing. The existing wooden deck is actually a black construction of the previous owner who pulled down the original terrace of concrete and is causing moisture problems in the basement.
Construction permit laws deny unfortunately a small extension because the house is a listed building and any changes should preferably be adapted to house the 40´s character.
To recreate the original terrace is not in line with customer’s wishes. The original terraces are flying over land on the pillar while she would rather have a place that weaves together the villa with garden and an easily accessible outdoor storage.
Although we know that an extension is not allowed, we still see this place as an intimate place where you can sleep and hang out by the fire …
Under the process, we flirt with the fine materials of the original terraces remaining in the field, the patina of the concrete, their thin wrought iron railings.
The result is a free standing volume of concrete that covers the existing level differences on the plot. The volume is anchoring the house to its surroundings and connecting living room with garden three steps below. A new staircase is used as a summer entrance. Above the storage entrance is a bench made of concrete.
A thin wrought iron railing surrounds the terrace. It creates some screens for the intimacy of the place and a canvas roof which can be tensioned against sun and rain.
The fresh green colour is interacting with greenery in the summer and is reminding it during the winter.
