An Icelandic Cabin’s Pitched Roof Mirrors the Mountain Behind It

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Project Details:

Location: Nýp, Iceland

Architect: Studio Bua / @studio_bua

Footprint: 570 square feet

Builder: Eiríkur Kristjánsson

Structural Engineer: Klöpp Arkitektar-Verkfræðingar ehf

Civil Engineer: Sæmundur Eiríksson

Lighting Design: Bjarni Ingi Björnsson

Photographer: Marino Thorlacius / @marinothorlacius

From the Architect: "Situated on a former farm with views of Breiðafjörður Bay in western Iceland, Nyp Cabin Atelier at Skarðsströnd follows Studio Bua’s previous work on a compound of former farm buildings repurposed as exhibition space, a cultural center, and a guesthouse.

"Our design brief entailed creating a space that would serve as an artist’s workspace, a holiday home for the owners, and an independent unit available for guest rental. Adjacent to the farmhouse, we identified an existing concrete foundation that had once supported a sheep shed, now lost due to extreme weather. Studio Bua had overseen the installation of a prefab greenhouse and shed on this foundation. Opting for sustainability and maximizing existing resources, we repurposed the concrete foundation for this new addition, drawing inspiration from local vernacular architecture and the original farmhouse, where we had previously extended the building to create additional guest rooms and an exhibition space.

"Given the time constraint to have the rental unit ready for the upcoming tourist season, we chose cross-laminated timber (CLT) for the structure and interiors, except for the bathrooms. While the existing concrete foundation was reused, a new concrete slab was poured, and the interior floor finish adopted polished concrete to create a robust surface suitable for an artist’s workplace. For the exterior cladding, we opted for black corrugated steel from Greencoat."