A few years ago, photographer Peter Krasilnikoff asked Studio David Thulstrup to create his new Copenhagen home from an old pencil factory and incorporate a green space. Taking inspiration from urban rooftop gardens and "innovative green zones in buzzing cosmopolitan cities," the firm's resulting design, finished in 2015, features a three-story glass atrium at the home's center. According to Dezeen, Thulstrop called it "the central green heart of the house."

Now, every floor benefits from the natural light the atrium brings, as well as views of the grasses, plants, and the tree planted inside. Strategic mirrored panelling further encourages light into the interior.

The architects derived additional inspiration from the building's former life, and "worn-out warehouses and factories." They preserved three brick walls from an old garage on the site and combined them with concrete floors, steel feature walls, bathrooms enveloped in terrazzo, and staircases shaped from perforated blackened steel.

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Wide boards, the HeartOak line from Dinesen finished with a natural oil, clad walls and floors to bring a natural warmth to the more industrial elements. Additional wood, in the form of vertical strips of Brazilian hardwood, lines the building's exterior, while a rooftop seating area overlooks the atrium.

Project Credits:

Ideation, planning, concept and design development of architecture and interior, follow up on construction site, and furniture selection: Studio David Thulstrup

Contractor: Egeberg Enterprise

Photography: Peter Krasilnikoff

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An Old Factory in Copenhagen Is Now a Photographer's Dream Home