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Collection by Laura C. Mallonee

Danish Prefab Feels Much Larger Than Its 861 Square Feet

Sigurd Larsen created the illusion of space with high ceilings and tall windows.

“The idea was to make small spaces appear large and friendly,” Berlin-based architect Sigurd Larsen says of his latest project in Copenhagen. Working with a budget of just $130,000, he designed a prefabricated house for a single mother and her two young children that‚ despite clocking in at just 861 square feet, feels far from cramped. “By including the garden visually through floor-to-ceiling windows and extending the rooms to the full allowed height of 15 feet, it became a spacious and pleasant place to be.”

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The house uses only three interlocking materials: a self-heated concrete floor that eliminates the need for space-consuming radiators; double-glazed windows that let the outdoors in while keeping out the cold; and eight wooden panels manufactured in a Denmark factory during the winter months. “The interior walls are birch plywood to add warmth and texture to the rooms,” Larsen says.
The house uses only three interlocking materials: a self-heated concrete floor that eliminates the need for space-consuming radiators; double-glazed windows that let the outdoors in while keeping out the cold; and eight wooden panels manufactured in a Denmark factory during the winter months. “The interior walls are birch plywood to add warmth and texture to the rooms,” Larsen says.
An imaginary axis divides the floor plan down the middle, with the open plan living room and kitchen to the south and three bedrooms to the north. In the dining area, a freestanding island hides appliances and piping while also providing counter space. Floor-to-ceiling windows make the outside deck and garden feel like an extension of the interior.
An imaginary axis divides the floor plan down the middle, with the open plan living room and kitchen to the south and three bedrooms to the north. In the dining area, a freestanding island hides appliances and piping while also providing counter space. Floor-to-ceiling windows make the outside deck and garden feel like an extension of the interior.
Since Copenhagen is generally cold, the house was painted black to trap warmth. The result was that in its first year, it consumed so little energy that the client received a generous refund from the heating company. “Many wooden houses in Scandinavia use this trick,” Larsen says. “On sunny days it even radiates warmth, so that in spring and autumn you can sit outside by the wall and in this way extend the outdoor season by a few weeks every year. These weeks are valuable in places with little light.”
Since Copenhagen is generally cold, the house was painted black to trap warmth. The result was that in its first year, it consumed so little energy that the client received a generous refund from the heating company. “Many wooden houses in Scandinavia use this trick,” Larsen says. “On sunny days it even radiates warmth, so that in spring and autumn you can sit outside by the wall and in this way extend the outdoor season by a few weeks every year. These weeks are valuable in places with little light.”
High windows on the east and west façades catch the sunrise and sunset, increasing light within the home. “They’re very simple and lo-fi,” Larsen says.
High windows on the east and west façades catch the sunrise and sunset, increasing light within the home. “They’re very simple and lo-fi,” Larsen says.
The outer wall means residents don’t have to worry about privacy when the sun goes down and the house’s windows begin to glow.
The outer wall means residents don’t have to worry about privacy when the sun goes down and the house’s windows begin to glow.