Log House / JVA

Curated by ArchDaily

Architects: JVA
Area: 302 m²
Year: 2012
Photographs:Nils Petter Dale
Consultants: Bark AS

Text description provided by the architects. This family house in the mountain area of Oppdal is placed on the upper part of a sloped site, offering great views towards the south. An annex is placed on the lower part of the plot with a courtyard formed between the two. Both buildings are timber log structures placed on an elevated base wall of concrete. This foundation wall is elevated in order to handle the height differences in the surrounding terrain. Decks and roof structures are made of massive wood.

The buildings combine traditional vernacular log techniques with a modern architectonic expression. This comes to show by using large glass surfaces mounted between the knots of the log structure. Interplay between open glass-framed parts and the log structure arises – creating varied spaces. The static differences between large sheets of glass, and the moisture relative timber construction, has been a challenge regarding technical detailing, resulting in flexible window fixings and adjustable steel columns.

The cold part of the annex is built in another traditional technique. Remains of the timber material is used as ”bricks” set in mortar, which is possible because of the dry climate at the site. The main shape of the two houses has a clear reference to the formal language of the traditional building style, both in terms of the principal of adding volumes length vice in the sloping terrain, and the angle of the roof.

Log construction is very favorable in a cradle-to-cradle perspective:

Log construction has very low energy consumption in the production phase, it is a large CO2 storage during use, and can very easily be reused, recycled or be used as a heating source after use. For this reason, log structure has exemptions in energy codes in many countries, including Norway.

The Log house is constructed of logs which is sustainable due to quick assembly and local “short travelled” materials and builders. The in-door climate is good due to natural ventilation and low emitting treatment of wooden surfaces. Heating is based upon thermal energy, heat pump and wood burning stoves.