Savanna Concepts

While the owners really liked the idea of shou sugi ban, they opted for a more cost-effective black stain. The random-width, reverse board-and-batten siding reflects the wabi-sabi concept. “The builder said the math for the random siding was torturous,” the wife said. “We didn’t know how hard it was to make things look simple.” DeNiord planted hay-scented fern and lowbush blueberry sod around the house. “We didn't want any side of the house to feel unconsidered,” he says. As for the local boulders he placed around the house and terrace, he says, “They give the feeling that the house grew up around the outcroppings.”

Floor Plan of Mökki and Sauna by Kontio

After entering through a gate, the home's charred spruce siding presents a somber face.

After a fire ravaged the site in rural Portugal, architect Miguel Marcelino designed this country house on its existing stone garden terraces.

"The curved surface of the west facade, with its ribs, visualises a gentle rhythm and softens the black building," says Sudo.

Approach close-up rendering.

Aerial exterior rendering.

South west close rear view from prairie

“Upon arrival, one will notice the simple punched openings on the north and east facades, and dark, mysterious entrance,” says MaMo Principal Natasha Coyle.

All-black exterior cladding includes charred wood siding by reSAWN, and corrugated metal siding by ATAS. A standing seam metal roof, also by ATAS, completes the striking monotone envelope.

The cottage is located on a site just over an hour from Gothenburg and two-and-a-half hours from Oslo, Bohuslän was the ideal location. “We immediately fell in love with the slightly hilly site and its location along a narrow dirt road with cows grazing on the other side,” says Helena. “Until then, I had never thought of building a summer house but when we got the chance, we just had to take it. Especially when my old friend Susanna said she could design a house for us.”

Summer house in the Stockholm archipelago site plan.

The muted grey coloured ceramic cladding enjoys a quiet synergy with its surroundings as it mirrors the silvery bark of the bare trees in winter.

T

The ADU’s cladding is stainless steel, making it resilient in all types of weather. “The D.C. metro area has four distinct seasons—it rains a lot, snows a lot, and it gets hot in the summer—so we wanted to create a unit that was adaptable and sustainable,” says David Lee, founder and CEO of prefab design company Aroom. The exterior of the main house contrasts the steel with its brick and light-blue siding, but the Yeons loved the idea of a refreshing and modern look for the backyard unit.

We pushed the pool as close to the valley edge as possible to let it focus on the down-valley views