MK5

MK5 is placed on a south-west sloping 500 m2 site, located on the Jollas Peninsula east of the Helsinki city centre. The structure of MK5 consist of highly customized CLT elements. Siberian Larch timber is used for the façade, the flooring, and the furniture.

MK5 is a project of ORTRAUM Architects, built for one of the partners of the office and his family of five. The house is placed on a south-west sloping 500 m2 site, located on the Jollas Peninsula east of the Helsinki city center. The architecture features a central kink in plan, which (according to the Finnish tradition) avoids a direct view towards the neighbours, and leads the main spaces to face the ocean towards the west. The building’s relationship to the natural surroundings inspired the diverse placement of the windows, framing the changing views and daylight qualities in each direction. The open-plan living room is accessed from the north and located on the ground floor, sauna functions and building services are placed in the basement. The four bedrooms are located upstairs. The geometric layout of the plan accumulates on the mezzanine level, where the three children’s rooms and the master bedroom connect in the center point of the building, allowing for multiple consultation options before bedtime.

The structure of MK5 consist of highly customized CLT elements. In addition to the building’s electrical system, the ventilation system and lighting fixtures are fully integrated into the CLT elements. Siberian Larch timber is used for the façade, the flooring, and the furniture. Custom fabricated copper parts frame the windows. The façade materials are chosen to allow the building to patinate naturally and age gracefully with time. On the south side of the building vertical wires are stretched from the building eaves to the terrace deck below, designed for hops climbers to grow to create a “green screen”, providing an extra curtain of privacy from the road.

ORTRAUM Architects focus in their practice on working thoroughly with the client and the context, always with the aim of creating a unique solution for each of their customers. In addition to this personal engagement ORTRAUM also pursues a strong research approach in each project, specializing in the development of new prefabricated element typologies, and stretching the possibilities of element design.