House for Gudrun | Sven Matt
When Gudrun moved to a small village in the Austrian Alps, she asked architect Sven Matt to design a home that would be compatible with the setting and her goal of a quiet life with a connection to nature. His response was a small and modern version of the wooden Alpine chalet, its shallow-pitched gable roof mimicking the one on the much larger traditional chalet visible from the living room.
A single large opening is cut into each of the four façades, providing views of the surrounding fields and mist-enshrouded mountains. The entrance and the living room’s patio doors are deeply recessed, giving the appearance of very thick walls. In fact the thick walls were achieved by building the kitchen, desks, and storage cabinetry into the walls. Besides providing shelter for the doors, the extra thickness gives a real feeling of solidity and permanence to the small home.
The bathroom and a utility room are located in the center of the 90 m2 (969 ft2) floor plan, while the entry hall, bedrooms and living space are arranged around the perimeter. Although the two bedrooms are side by side, one opens just off the living room while the other is more private, accessed by a long hallway. It’s a somewhat unusual arrangement, but it might have been intended to give guests more privacy.
The interior walls and ceiling are lined with wood, but it is far from rustic. Trimless detailing and flush-mounted doors result in a clean, modern look. A very high level of craftsmanship and attention to detail is evident, with the wood grain even being matched from the walls to the doors. As seen in the photo above, the bedroom door almost disappears into the wall. Darker paneling was used to create a reading nook and the kitchen island.
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Photographs by Björn Matt, courtesy of Sven Matt. Via ArchDaily.
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