Bregnevegen, Tromsø, 2017-2019
Tromsø is a small town in northern Norway that sits on an island in the middle of the arctic circle, surrounded by mountains and fjords. The rigid climate, the shifting daylight and the beauty of the landscape have been key factors throughout the design process.
The plot is located in a suburban area south-west of Tromsoya, overlooking Kvaløysetta and the mountains behind. The house has been designed for a private client who requested to live in the two upper floors, leaving the lower floor for a smaller apartment. The entrance is located at the intermediate level, highlighted by the presence of a diagonal setback of the façade, which protects the doorway and anticipates the geometries of the interior. This floor houses the bedrooms, a small gym and the facilities. On the upper floor, the space is organized around the structural core in an unbroken sequence between the living room and the kitchen, so that these rooms appear at once unified and clearly defined.
The shape of the upper level is the result of a process of subtraction: in the south, the wall bends allowing for the roof to lower down and align to the nearby house; in the north, it generates a small balcony oriented towards the landscape. The result is an elongated hexagonal plan, in contrast with the regularity of the rectangular floor below. The double-pitched roof harmonizes the volume with the surrounding houses. Wide openings on the facade provide expansive views on the surrounding natural scenery.
The facade composition is based on the dicothomy of order and freedom, of repetition and contrast, striving for overall lightness and expressive clarity. These concepts are expressed through the balanced rhythm of vertical and horizontal openings, along with a circular opening, that allows natural light into the main stairwell and entrance.
The building is characterized by the extensive use of dark wood for the facades' cladding. In the arctic nights, it allows the volume to merge seamlessly with the colours of the dark sky. The circular opening, which punctuates the side facade with its soft light, earned the house the nickname “moon house”.
Program: Private house, Tromsø, Norway
Client: Private
Project team: Marta Benedetti, Andrea Ravagnani, David Vecchi
Photos: Studio Campo, Anna Positano, Gaia Cambiaggi
