“Cabin on Femunden” merges old and new | AHAA

Creative reuse of existing structures resulted in this small log cabin on the shore of Femunden, a large lake near Norway’s border with Sweden. The property was originally home to a pair of one-room cabins, one of which was over a century old. The owner was looking for more space than the old cabins offered, but still wanted to retain and preserve them. Aslak Haanshuus Arkitekter came up with a design that incorporates the two cabins into a larger cabin compound under a common roof.

The two tiny cabins were raised about 2′ onto a large deck where they were joined by a new V-shaped main cabin. The new part was designed to match the old work, using the same size square logs and the same corner detailing. The wings of the new part are aligned with the centerlines of the old cabins. Two gable roof forms connect the cabins, crossing in the middle. The wide roof overhangs shelter a cantilevered deck that encircles the new part.

Between the three structures, a covered area serves as an entry deck and outdoor hallway. To make use of natural daylight, the steel corrugated roofing was changed to translucent panels over the covered area. The translucent panels were also used at the window locations, compensating for the wide overhangs.

Altogether, the project has a floor space of 85 m² (915 ft²). One wing of the main cabin stretches toward the lake. It contains a small bedroom and the open-plan living space, where large glass doors capture magnificent water views. The smaller wing houses the bathroom, sauna, storage and utility spaces. The main cabin and one of the smaller cabins, used as another bedroom, are heated by wood stoves. The other old cabin is unheated, so can only be used for sleeping part of the year.

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Photographs by Tom Gustavsen, courtesy of Aslak Haanshuus Arkitekter. Via Inhabitat.

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