House Hiekkalinna
- Private house in Oulu
- 2022
- Scope floor area ca. 320 m2
- Location Oulu, Finland
- Client Private
Starting point
A couple interested in architecture and design with interior design and carpentry knowledge, sought out an architect to develop their future home. The design process was carried out as collaborative design, with the residents also actively involved in the implementation of the building, especially in terms of details.
Location
The building is located by the Oulujoki River, on the northeast bank, in a densely built detached house environment. The plot is situated on a bend of the river and opens widely into the surrounding landscape offering varying and intriguing vistas from inside the building.
Solution
House Hiekkalinna is designed to be the home of two adults. Already in the early stages of the design, the residents had hopes for a home that would naturally serve as a place for the gathering of friends. Inspired by the modern classics of Finnish architecture, the aim was to find the same thinking and timelessness in the spaces and material choices.
Arrival to the building is via an outbuilding zone to a closed entry yard. The entry yard is a rock garden, defined by evergreen conifers and natural stones from Pudasjärvi. The character of the entrance side is distinctly different from the lush and open nature of the shore side of the building. There’s a clear divide: the calm, well-considered and more more closed look of the entrance side, and the warm, open and see through facade opening towards the river.
Unnecessary walls were avoided in the spatial design, aiming for as free flowing solution as possible. The main spaces of the building are located on the first floor, where the scenic connection is at its strongest.
The first floor consists of a sequence of living, kitchen, and dining areas, along with a master bedroom suite. Instead of walls, the spaces are divided by a large, sculptural fireplace.
The ground floor houses the residents working space, sauna department and a guest room. The sculptural staircase connects the floors together and opens views to the front yard’s rock garden.
The spaces are connected flexibly and can be divided by sliding doors, if needed.
The residents live half of the year in Madeira, and the Portuguese cooking culture has shaped the building’s architecture. The kitchen continues seamlessly via a large sliding door to the terrace, where the heart of cooking, the espetada oven, is located.
The terraces’ movable slatted walls can be adjusted throughout the day to provide shelter from the scorching sun.
An old house with severe microbial damage was demolished from the building site. The residents reclaimed a significant amount of demolition material, such as hundreds of metres of oak planks removed from the interiors. After clean up, the material has found new purposes, like in the kitchen island.
The design also considered the practicality of everyday life. The residents’ own furniture design knowledge enabled tailoring the furnishings precisely to their needs, and among other things, laundry maintenance between the floors has been optimised.
Furnishings and interior details were prepared in the workshop, located within the outbuilding. The main building is fitted with a lift reservation, enabling accessible living in the future.
photos Kalle Kouhia
