Our Swedish friends from Visiondivision are back with their latest residential project for a family in Tampere, Finland - an extension that offers a quirky departure from a traditional “addition” as the architecture provides an entire “village” of units to meet optimal flexibility and potential. The village idea offers an interesting structure for the clients to inhabit and one that can be experienced in a variety of ways to inspire the residents during their everyday activities.
More after the break.
After examining how the family utilized their existing 1970s home, the designers felt the house was being used as fragmented structure, with different places designated for specific activities.
“The more we came to think about it, the existing house and the surroundings seemed to be a very well used small village and that’s what we emphasized and adapted our architecture to. We saw them as strollers in their own town, setting up their office in the park, at the café or in the sauna depending on where they might end up on their daily stroll. This way of life doesn’t correspond to normal architecture where every room has its function. This way of life needs a village with several options of moving between different settings,” explained the architects.
The village-prototype allowed the designers to explore the broader scope of city planning, while also finessing the details of a singular house. Larger organizational factors, such as defining public squares, and making an interesting promenade, allow the addition to successfully function as a whole, in addition to serving designated purposes as individual modules.
The village will be assembled on the flat roof level, which provides great views over the lake. A stair will join the existing living room to the roof level, and terminates inside a mid-sized cottage with large windows that illuminate the circulation corridor. The light filled space serves as a family room with glass sliding doors onto the town square/terrace (from the square it is possible to take an outdoor stair down to another terrace that connects the existing living room with the outside). Once on the terrace, a spacious stair leads down to a relaxation area with sauna and a potential outdoor Jacuzzi. Other cottages speckled across the roof will hold a guest room, office, and extra head-height for the master bedroom and children’s rooms.
“While almost every new cottage can be reached from the existing house, some can only be reached by going outdoors first, giving the cottage more privacy and calm which is perfect if one has work that demands extra concentration, or guests that prefers this setting more,” added the architects.
In terms of production, the village will be assembled using prefabricated smaller modules, such as sheds, that can be joined together and organized in different configurations. The conceptual notion of the growth of the village allows the client to plan their expansion according to their needs. Sheds can be added at any time to add new interest to the floor plan, and provide the necessary room for the growing family.
We love this bit from Ulf Mejergren & Anders Berensson, “The clients will not be owners of one house anymore; they will be mayors of a small town.”
What do you think of their latest creation? And, have you seen Visiondivison’s other residential projects – such as their idea for Stockholm or huge mullion house?
