Scandinavian Architecture

Private Summer House in Sweden, WRB Architects

Through our current studio project, Simulate Stimulate, I have been looking a lot into Norwegian and Scandinavian Architecture. The site I have chosen for my project is in Wormit, a small village in Fife near to Newport-on-Tay. The village has historical connections with Norway, as the Norwegian King (King Haakon VII) stayed in Wormit during World War II, and many Norwegian boats were docked at Wormit Harbour. The local Church of Scotland held services for Norwegian Soldiers during and after the war ended. The King's soldiers painted a mural on the walls of the house in which the King stayed, which is still there today. The Norwegian Flag is still flown in Wormit today.

Rock Blending Summer House in Vestfold, Norway. By Jarmund / Vigsnæs AS Architects MNAL

The traits of modern Scandinavian architecture are very appealing to me, with large areas of glass in most of the buildings, which creates a feeling of being close to the outdoors and the environment. The main material used in many of the designs I have looked at is wood, which creates a natural feel which blends into the natural surroundings of most of the buildings. As Norway is a very sparsely populated country, the space around the buildings is usually fairly large, which i feel is an important part of the success of the architecture. I have included a few photos of some of my favourite scandinavian designs.

Villa Storingavika in Norway, Saunders Architecture

The Edge House, Norway by Jarmund / Vigsnæs AS Architects MNAL