The Green House

A series of single family houses is designed for Frikøbing near Copenhagen in Denmark. The development plan for the area has high demands on sustainability for construction materials, insulation, energy and air circulation. The Green House is the first of our typologies to be developed in the area and consists of a simple plan arrangement that allow for low construction costs while offering generous living spaces.

The Green House, though slightly smaller in floor space, offers a large 32m2 winter garden on the south facing façade of the construction. All bedrooms and a bathroom are located on the northern, more intimate side of the building while the living/dining area opens up onto the greenhouse where a south-facing, mono-pitched roof ensures that a lot of light filters into the communal areas. The children's room is prepared for being separated by a wall later.

A mezzanine over the kitchen makes the most of the high ceilings to create a cozy cinema room, ideal for cold winter nights. Heat from the sun, retained in the winter garden during the day, acts as a buffer between inside and outside as it slowly releases heat back into the house when it gets dark. The house is naturally ventilated with the help of a three-layered window that regulates temperature and air flow entering the building.

The inside is entirely clad with birch plywood while the external finish is made of vertical, untreated, larch panels which will turn to a lighter silver tone over time, allowing the house to adapt to its surroundings.

Sigurd Larsen