Architects:Studio Puisto

Area :165 m²

Year :2019

Photographs :Marc Goodwin

Manufacturers :  Focus, RHEINZINK, Alugan, Finnglass, Klas 1, Profin, Roma, TriofloorFocus

Lighting Design :Lighting Design Collective

Partner Architects : Mikko Jakonen, Emma Johansson, Sampsa Palva, Heikki Riitahuhta, Willem van Bolderen

Design Team : Pauliina Kujala

Contractor : Rakennuspalvelu Ri-Li Oy

Roof & Facade Zinc Work : Peltipeite

Walnut Surfaces & Fixed Furniture : TM Team KY

Roof & Facade Zinc Work : Peltipeite

Country : Finland

The building is approached from the south through a dense spruce forest, as the lake landscape slowly opens to the right on the east side. The spruce forest forms a natural and characteristic back wall for the construction site. It acts as a strong visual barrier along the western boundary of the plot, but also softens the place's otherwise open sound landscape and adds a gentle, dark tone to it. At the beginning of the design, the plot was almost treeless and only one maple tree had to be removed to make room for the building. The rhythmic line of birches by the shore is an essential feature for the landscape opening from the interior of the house, and it also provides privacy when viewing the building from the lake. The steep stone embankment of the shore is repeated with the paving stones of the lower part of the house. The exact location of the building was largely determined by the views. The more north you move on the plot, the more the lake landscape opens, on the other hand, the shortest distance to the shore was precisely determined. The old sauna by the shore had to be moved slightly in order to get the best view. Views have been sparingly opened towards the closest neighbor, located northwest, and towards the under-grown tree layer facing north, and the house is more enclosed in that direction. Instead of covering the large glass surfaces with interior curtains, a sun-blind was integrated into the outer surface of the wall structure, which does not allow heat radiation to enter but allows views to the landscape to be enjoyed from inside the house.

The building consists of three interlocking square masses. The locations of the spaces in different masses are strictly distributed according to the functions; the main mass contains the living, sleeping and dining areas, and the smaller ones have sauna and utility facilities, garage and technical facilities. The core of the main mass and the side masses are within the same coordinate system, which clarifies the connections between the spaces and calms the spatial experience. The basic idea behind the main mass is the core of the open square space, where all the fixtures are integrated and much of the functionality is located. The core has been shifted from the coordinate system of the main mass so that the use of the spaces between it and the outer walls could be optimized. The hallway, sleeping areas, entertainment corner, and study are located in caverns created within this spatial distribution. Inside the core are a utility room, toilets, and a walk-in closet. There is no traditional division into rooms, but spaces can be separated from one another by sliding doors if desired. The nature of the spaces varies greatly due to large glass surfaces and powerful openings to the landscape. The landscape itself is the most important element of the interior, which is alive and constantly changing according to the time of day and the seasons. On the lakeside, the floor height of the building is clearly higher than the surrounding terrain to give the impression of floating above the lake. Similarly, the atmosphere of the spruce forest can be sensed in the living area, located in the western corner of the house, which has been raised to the height of the forest brush. This side is rooted in the ground, and less natural light seeps into space so the experience is closer to that of the forest atmosphere.