25 Columns

The house is located on a steep, forested site in Plintsberg, Dalarna, overlooking Lake Siljan. Two horizontal slabs rest on a grid of columns, freeing the terrain below. The aluminium-clad roof acts as a reflective fifth façade, incorporating a chimney and two folding screens—one filters sunlight above the skylight, the other provides privacy for the roof terrace. A staircase links the roof deck to the interior and the terrain below. Inside, four glazed rooms (three bedrooms and a winter garden) create private spaces in an open layout with a freestanding kitchen, fireplace, and storage.

The project confronted the challenge of building on a steep slope while ensuring privacy and connection to the landscape. Centred on the plot, the house is partly visible from the road yet immersed in the forest. Suspending it on 25 columns preserves the rocky terrain below. Inside, an open plan integrates four private glazed rooms—three bedrooms and a winter garden—within the column grid, along with freestanding elements such as a kitchen and fireplace. A rear staircase connects the ground, the winter garden, and the roof sundeck. Above, the aluminium roof softly reflects its surroundings, dissolving the house into the landscape while protecting it from harsh weather. It features a chimney and two aluminium folding screens. One filters sunlight above the skylight; the other provides privacy for the roof terrace with sweeping lake and forest views. The design unites abstract simplicity with technical and ecological sensitivity, honouring local traditions and the site’s character.

This simple idea of architectural form gained its materiality through the reality of the place and its building tradition. About 80% of Dalarna is woodland, and the region has a long history of log construction. Building in wood here is thus both sustainable and logical. The house is made of cross-laminated timber (CLT), with 320 mm-diameter columns in a 5×5 grid spaced 3.3 m apart, supporting both slabs. CLT serves as both structure and finish, left exposed and unvarnished to age naturally and blend with the surroundings. The timber used is the Scots pine, sustainably sourced from a local FSC-certified forest. The construction involved pre-pierced slabs lifted into place, with columns inserted to connect the floor and ceiling. Atop, the roof is clad in matt pre-aged aluminium planks that protect the wooden slab. Sustainable sourcing, minimal material intervention, and exposed, weathering timber reduce environmental impact and maintenance costs.