The Common Office have designed Villa Altona, a home in Törnskogen, Sweden, that is surrounded by forest.
The architect’s description
Villa Altona is located in Törnskogen, in the municipality of Sollentuna. The site is rather steep with a height difference of nine meters between the ground floor and street level. The immediate surroundings are characterised by a mix of villas from the latest four decades. But the north border to an untouched piece of forest, a very beautiful piece of nature formed by the last Ice Age. These two, almost opposite, characters of the site has generated form, placement and the colors for the building.
The building is orientated in east – west direction parallell to the height contours. this markes the border between the two different site characters. in the south a more traditional villa garden is shaped in the terracced landscape, whereas in the east, west and north the untouched nature continues right up to the facade.
The building is divided into four very narrow units, each 2,85m wide. this makes the building very naturally adopts its footprint to the terrain. Furthermore are the four units offset to each other both horizontally and vertically.
The facade seems to fold itself in the landscape, avoiding trees and boulders and provides light from all points of the compass. A large centrally placed and retractable sky light (3,0 x 2,2m) fills the interior with light and contributes to the transparancy of the building. The interior is almost one continous room. the building units offset relative to each other creates smaller private spaces within the large room.
The family members private rooms have very generous proportions and borders directly to the common “negotiable” room. The relation between negotiable-, and private rooms are regulated with large sliding wall partitions.
The construction is carried without any blasting on a plinth foundations. In situ cast floor-, and roof slabs are supported with slender steel columns and the outer walls are constructed as in situ constructed wall elements. The roof has a very low pitch and is covered with a sedum- herb mixture.
Design: The Common Office
Photography: Mikael Olsson