Duel Personalities – Norway

Designed by Oslo practice Kappland Arkitekter, Cabin Stokkoya is an all-year retreat, on the outermost coast of Trondelag, Norway, for a family of five, with a series of simple, flexible living spaces. Elevated at the front and anchored on a concrete slab at the rear, the building gently hovers on the slope, leaving hardly any footprint.
The shape of the building defines two outdoor spaces that can be used during different sun and wind conditions.
At the rear, an outdoor space is formed by the slope and the building. Here, one can enjoy the morning sun and at the same time be protected from the westerly winds. Generous window-openings offer sea-views throughout the building. At the front, another outdoor space is formed by the building. Here, one can enjoy the afternoon sun and be protected from the northerly winds. A walking trail passing the site to the north is used as an access-way from the trail, a staircase leads into the entrance on the gable wall.
In the kitchen and living-room-space, the west wall has a generous floor-to-ceiling opening, which provides immediate contact with the great and open landscape outside. In contrast, the windows over the kitchen worktop and in the bedrooms (in the east), offer contact with the nearby landscape and vegetation. In the bathroom, a high-placed window lets daylight in over the shower. There are no windows in the south wall, thus shielding the cabin from the only, but close-by neighbour.
To make the cabin blend with the vegetation on the hillside, the exterior cladding and ceilings are of dark royal impregnated wood. Inside there is a variation of panels and veneer plates of birch, both on the walls and ceiling. The custom-made furniture is also made of birch veneer. The simplistic interior does not compete for attention with the magnificent views outside.