Modern nature

Through the pocket door and window, the Levin family can spy the verdant garden. Photo by Dustin Cohen.

Inside, open spaces and natural light keep the main living area accessible and uplifting.

The skylight over the home’s entrance “helps simulate a feeling of grandeur and creates an airy and welcoming atmosphere,” says Bjerre-Poulsen.

Nestled in a forest of tall pines in the Stockholm Archipelago, the exterior of this island home is clad entirely in folded black sheet metal. Three glazed sliding doors with hardwood frames provide entrances and direct access to the outdoor areas.

Designed by TYIN tegnestue Architects and built by the owners themselves, this cottage celebrates traditional back-to-nature elements in traditional Norwegian culture. Situated amidst marshland, sea-adjacent rock and scattered pine-and juniper-vegetation, careful consideration was made to protect the sensitive surrounding terrain. Only 328 feet from the sea, some marsh had to be cleared in preparing for the construction, exposing bedrock and integrating the cottage within the landscape.

The pavilion concept of this cabin is emphasized by its large roof which also serves as a shelter for rainy days and makes for a greater sense of space.

The cabin’s exterior walls and roof are clad in overlapping stone plates that mimic the look of traditional wood paneling found in Western Norway. “It provides an affinity with the cabins nearby,” partner and architect Nils Ole Bae Brandtzæg explains. Solar panels cover the chimney pipe, lighting LED lamps inside.

Interior view

Dramatic shadows of the interior space