Anttolanhovi shoreline villas – Lanterns

These semi-detached villas are built on the hillside close to the original hotel building and descend towards the shoreline in a curve. The villas open up towards the lake landscape and each one has a terrace linked to the high living space via a glass wall. The floor plan of the buildings is such that it provides privacy for adjoining villas.

The wooden grilles, which provide shelter for the terraces, bring clarity and lightness to the building forms. They repeat the vertical lines of the surrounding pine forest, and at night, when lit from the inside, they shine like lanterns.

The grilles are made of three battens glued together to minimise warping. The visible parts of the laminated timber construction are fixed with concealed joints.

The villas were built using the ‘pre-cut’ method which allows a speedy construction schedule and an architectural approach. Ekovilla, which is made of recycled cellulose fibre, was used for thermal insulation.

The idea was to make the interiors light and give them the feeling of being close to nature. The wooden surfaces are treated with a translucent finish. The birch-ply wall cladding forms the backdrop to the works of art which are an essential element of the buildings. Birch is also used for the furniture, while the ceiling boarding and laminated timber structure are finished with a light-coloured translucent treatment.

Anttolanhovi, which provides tourist and health-farm services, wanted to supplement the hotel with villas representing top-quality wood architecture. Customers are expected to be quality- conscious tourists and corporate conference guests.