18.8.2020

Private house EVO

The building is divided into two masses. The lower mass is pushed down as far as possible in front of the exist­ing buildings and camouflaged to appear as a plinth. The higher mass is placed at right angles to the lower, so it does not obstruct the views from the houses beyond.

The entrance to the building is from the back of the lower floor which, as well as the entrance hall, stairs and utility room, contains bathroom, WC and sleeping area. The hall is separated from the sleep­ing area by a curtain, while the bathroom adjoins the sleeping area but is separated from the other spaces by a screen wall. The WC is set apart in a corner. The lower floor also house dressing room, sauna and stor­age. There is a door opening directly onto a covered terrace facing the sea, where visitors can relax after a sauna.

The upper floor juts out towards the sea and contains a large pan­oramic space for living, eating and food preparation. This large, mul­ti-purpose space opens up through a glass wall in three directions, continuing through the glass wall as a balcony facing the sea. In winter there is a snowy, white landscape and in summer a green landscape of pines and birches through which the sparkling sea can be seen.

The upper floor is built of massive, laminated logs. These are in spruce and measure 330 x 260 mm. The joints have a soft-line profile. Internally, the logs are painted white, but despite the paint, the outlines of the logs can be seen. Externally, the logs are painted dark brown. The lower floor is in brickwork rendered in white. The building has a mo­no-pitch roof which slopes gently towards the sea, but the slope is con­cealed by a frame all round the roof, so that the roof appears to be flat.

In the centre of the large living space, there is a suspended fireplace which provides warmth and ambience through the flickering flames which light up the whole room in the evening dusk.

Project in brief

Private house EVO

  • Location | Espoo
  • Purpose | Residential building
  • Constructor/Client | Private
  • Floor area | 203 m2
  • Volume | 650 m3
  • Architectural Design | M.A.R.K. Arkkitehtitoimisto Mäntylä Oy
  • Structural design | Mikko Osmala
  • Pääurakoitsija | Honkatalot
  • Photographs | Honkatalot