The Wave House Is a Futuristic Finnish Home With a Sweeping Roof
A Finnish architect teams up with a log home manufacturer to create the stunning, hyper-modern Wave House.
In the town of Mikkeli in Eastern Finland, architect Seppo Mäntylä has created the Wave House—a striking, elongated log home with a sweeping curved roof.
Mäntylä is well known in Finland for his spectacular wooden homes, and he drafted plans for the Wave House for a client in Moscow—but unfortunately, the arrangement fell through. It did, however, grab the attention of Mikko Vainionpää, the owner of log home manufacturer Polar Life Haus. Vainionpää liked the design so much that he collaborated with Mäntylä to make the project a reality.
The roof's siding is made of painted plywood, and the facade is constructed from glass and spruce logs.
Courtesy of Hans Koistinen
Polar Life Haus is a Finnish family company founded in 1907. The company is more commonly known as Honkatalot in Finland.
Courtesy of Hans Koistinen
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"The most unique feature of Wave House is its curving shape. These kind of shapes have been used in public buildings before, but realizing such shapes in a single-family residence is very demanding and unique. Another unique thing is that the Wave House is in a way a prefab house, and can be enlarged with a lower level of around 1,076 to 6,458 square feet," says Mäntylä.
The Wave House's roof is composed of curved steel beams interspersed with wooden beams. Thermal insulation and ventilation is incorporated into the structure.
Courtesy of Hans Koistinen
Polar Life Haus manufactures individually designed wooden homes and log homes. The company focuses on environmentally friendly building materials and the well-being of people and nature.
Courtesy of Hans Koistinen
The design for the 3,050-square-foot, single-level house draws inspiration from the aerodynamic curves of boats and airplanes. The home is made from a combination of solid pine, glass and steel.
The Wave House seamlessly combines solid timber with glass.
Courtesy of Hans Koistinen
Steps leading up from the lake to the living area.
Courtesy of Hans Koistinen
Mäntylä says that he specifically designed the volume of the house to harmonize with the surrounding environment. The architect incorporated large expanses of glazing, and he strategically placed all doors and windows to frame the best views. The open-plan living area is oriented toward the lake, and it leads out to a large cantilevered terrace.
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ShopThe interior of the Wave House is spacious and open, taking in the beauty of Lake Saimaa and its changing seasons.
Courtesy of Hans Koistinen
An open-plan kitchen, dining, and living space.
Courtesy of Hans Koistinen
The remarkable log home was showcased in 2017 at the annual Finnish Housing Fair in Mikkeli, where it won awards for three categories.
The living area has glass walls that bring in an abundance of sunlight. Most of the floors are wood and parquet.
Courtesy of Hans Koistinen
The view of the lake from the living area.
Courtesy of Hans Koistinen
The master bedroom enjoys lake views.
Courtesy of Hans Koistinen
A lounge area leads to the master bedroom.
Courtesy of Hans Koistinen
Additional bedrooms located on the opposite site of the home look out toward a forest.
Courtesy of Hans Koistinen
Wooden surfaces give the bathroom and sauna a warm, spa-like feel. A fully glazed wall connects the sauna to the great outdoors.
Courtesy of Hans Koistinen
A cantilevered section of the roof with geometric cutouts.
Courtesy of Hans Koistinen
A terrace looks out to tree and lake views.
Courtesy of Hans Koistinen
Project Credits:
Architect of Record: M.A.R.K. Arkkitehtitoimsto Mäntylä Oy
Builder and Structural Engineer: Polar Life Haus / @polarlifehaus
Interior design: Suunnittelutoimisto Pulma / @suunnittelutoimistopulma
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