©Stig Jensen

Villa Lystad

Location: Larvik, Norway

Architect: Lie Øyen arkitekter

Material: Concrete

Design date: 2014

Completion date: 2015

Built area: 218m²

Architects: Tai Grung, Tanja Lie, Kristoffer Øyen

Photographer: Stig Jensen

Story:

Text provided by the architects:

The villa is built in Larvik, Norway in a small coastal settlement. The built environment consists of traditional, white wooden houses. Idyllic, but also weather ridden, there was an aspiration to make a house where one could experience the seascape and sky from the inside, as well as find sheltered outdoor spaces for different seasons, weather and times of the day.

An overall design decision was to make a C-shaped plan organization so that the house itself made a sheltered court in its midst. The court creates a welcoming entrance square and is a sheltered outdoor space from which one can enjoy the sea view through the two glass facades of the main living area. In calmer weather, the front garden will be in use, as well as the large roof terrace where there will always be a breeze, even in the hottest summer days.

Another sought- after quality was the possibility of dividing the house into zones so that at least two families could stay at the same time rather separately. The building adapts to the terrain using a variation of levels to separate the two living rooms, one at each end of the house. Because of the uneven site, both levels have entrances from the ground level on different sides of the building.

The first level consists of a multipurpose room and kitchen in the front part facing south and a unique view. A hallway, three bedrooms, and two bathrooms are placed in the middle part and storage space in the darker areas. A garage with room for two cars, a back door leading into the villa and an office are placed on the second level. In addition to this, there is also a second multipurpose room with space for a small kitchen and an exit to a large rooftop terrace.

The building has a modern look with its white fiber cement wall cladding, aluminum window frames, and large glass surfaces. As a built object, the villa adapts to the terrain, and the bright white façade makes a connection to the more traditional surroundings.

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