Hamra House by Studio DinellJohansson // Sweden.

This beautifully simple, compact summer house in Hamra, Sweden was designed by architecture studio DinellJohansson. The client initially asked for an existing barn to be converted into a summer house. Instead, DinellJohansson designed them a barn-like home. Don’t you love it when architects don’t just listen to their client’s brief, but rather go on to create something even better. I love that shit! The house is a simple rectangular structure with single open space, focusing on sustainability and minimisation of waste. Unique furniture and joinery assembled from remaining or reused building material and clever use of space make this house one of a kind.

Keeping the design simple also kept the project cost within the clients’ limited budget. Stone was substituted with concrete block, while plaster cladding mimics the look of vernacular architecture. The corrugated steel roofing is also commonly used for farm buildings on the island. The kitchen is placed in the heart of the house, with a large concrete island in the middle of the room, turning meal preparation into a very social activity.

Some words from the architects – “The brief came out of the very limited budget: a house as simple as possible. Equally simple as the barn we wanted to convert to a summer dwelling: one open space with a large number of possible beds, cooking in the middle, washing facilities outside the house. Planing regulations ruled the placement of the house to the inner part of the plot which at the time of designing was still densely vegetated and scarcely accessible. It was made possible by a uniquely skilled builder with a passion for architectural detailing.”

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[Images courtesy of DinellJohansson. Photography by Elisabeth Toll.]