House in red concrete | Sanden+Hodnekvam Architects

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House in red concrete | Sanden+Hodnekvam Architects

Information

  • Completion year: 2020
  • Gross Built up Area: 360 sq.mt.
  • Project Location: Lillehammer
  • Country: Norway
  • Photo Credits: Sanden+Hodnekvam Architects
  • Others: Furniture: Anders Haram, Concrete work: Luster Betong
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Excerpt: In House in red concrete designed by Sanden+Hodnekvam Architects, the sound building system makes construction easier, permits simple detailing and in turn a lower building cost. The visible joints between the prefabricated elements and the lines between the boards in the casting blend generate a characteristic pattern in the facades.

Project Description

House in red concrete | Sanden+Hodnekvam Architects
© Sanden+Hodnekvam Architects

[Text as submitted by architect] The red house is designed as a repetitive building kit of insulated concrete elements. The load-bearing elements are arranged independently of the inner walls, providing the clients with a generous house that can be adapted to changing needs. The rational construction allowed the clients to do large parts of the construction themselves.

House in red concrete | Sanden+Hodnekvam Architects
© Sanden+Hodnekvam Architects

Housing prices in Norway are high and there are few alternatives to the standardised housing market. As architects, we wish to contribute to different forms of living; cooperative housing, self-built housing, intergenerational housing and other home-sharing arrangements. In Lillehammer, we have a built project intended for a three-generation family. Due to a relatively large program and a limited budget, the economy became an important factor. We needed to find solutions that were affordable and that would suit the intended use.

House in red concrete | Sanden+Hodnekvam Architects
© Sanden+Hodnekvam Architects

The topography at the site is steep, with a height difference of about 10m (32ft) within a 650 sqm site. A large part of the house is dug into the hillside in order to fit the program to the compact site, and at the same time follow height regulations and maximise the view. The house is angled diagonally to the fall of the terrain to generate high-quality outdoor spaces on all sides and to access the view from all three floors.

House in red concrete | Sanden+Hodnekvam Architects
© Sanden+Hodnekvam Architects

Based on the limited budget and with two facades partly underground, we chose prefabricated concrete elements as the exterior building material. All facades, both over- and underground are made of insulated concrete (Cellcrete) with a 50mm outer layer of pigmented concrete. Iron oxide is added to the concrete mix to create a distinct red colour. The slabs are exposed in the ceiling to make the structure readable.

House in red concrete | Sanden+Hodnekvam Architects
© Sanden+Hodnekvam Architects

The sound building system makes construction easier, permits simple detailing and in turn a lower building cost. The visible joints between the prefabricated elements and the lines between the boards in the casting blend generate a characteristic pattern in the facades. Concrete elements are repeated in order to reuse the formwork for several elements. The repetitive system of separate elements enables the potential reuse of the building materials in the future.

House in red concrete | Sanden+Hodnekvam Architects
© Sanden+Hodnekvam Architects

The inner walls are independent of the load-bearing system, which means that the plan can be reconfigured. The house can easily be adapted to future residents or changing needs. The interior is clad in knot-free pine and exposed concrete elements. Furniture in pine plywood is built on the site.

House in red concrete | Sanden+Hodnekvam Architects
© Sanden+Hodnekvam Architects

The combination of a rational and repetitive building system and the substantial effort from the clients resulted in a very low building cost. Through their own efforts in the building period, the owners of the house have gained substantial knowledge about their own house and they feel strong ownership of both the process and the end result.

House in red concrete | Sanden+Hodnekvam Architects
© Sanden+Hodnekvam Architects

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