Focus on even the smallest details
A current example is this "egoist house" on Soløsevej in Gentofte north of Copenhagen, which was designed by Jørn Utzon's grandson. The special thing about the house is that everything is specially made and designed.
"And that's really all. Right from the built-in speakers and windows specially made in China to the wooden front door, which blends in with the wall ", he says to Arkbyg.
Jeppe Utzon says that to make it elegant and light, it requires a lot of work with the details.
“The owner goes into great detail. That is why we have gone the extra mile to make everything work. The window frames, for example, are hidden when viewed from the inside; it's a pure feeling, says the architect, who emphasizes that it must also be functional:
But I would like to introduce experiences in the house that are special. Level jumps, niches you can sit in. Elements that provide an experience. Make the house something special. We have put a lot of them in - and that raises the house and does it differently ", explains Jeppe Utzon, who has designed 25 one-family houses.
"We have occasionally worked from this: More 'nice to have' than 'need to have'. It gives something to the coziness ", points out Jeppe Utzon.
Demanding acoustic task
The house is built with very large glass windows facing Ærmelunden, which - among other things - has placed great demands on the acoustics. It is not only large concert halls and commercial domiciles that must conceive of acoustic solutions.
This also applies to this private home, which is characterized by high ceilings, a lot of glass from floor to ceiling in the living rooms (actually over 60 sqm glass in the living room), few furniture and wooden floors.
It places great demands on the acoustics, which must be comfortable when you have guests and play music. This means that a lot of effort has been put into finding the right acoustic solution.
Utzon's and the builder's choice fell on the so-called mono-acoustic ceilings from Rockfon, which according to the architect give an extra minimalist look to the home.
Better meaning with new house
On the plot on Soløsevej in Gentofte stood an existing house, which the owners were considering renovating. But it made better sense to build something new.
“The overall idea is an egoist house in natural materials, with space for guests and children. It is designed for two people and built very specifically for your own use; that is, a very tailor-made house, where you look at your needs and build according to it. What I find most interesting is building to someone's needs. To take them as a starting point, ”says Jeppe Utzon.
“When you move into something existing, you adapt life based on the existing framework. You do not think so much about it, but you adapt a lot. When you build your own house, you think about what life you want to live. It can be anything from big dinner parties, a lot of time in the kitchen, no morning sun in the bedroom, building a boat. I'm trying to figure out what life they want to live. And trying to draw a house based on that, ”he says.
And adds with a smile: “And then I go to great lengths to make enough closet space. It solves the problems ”.
This article is written by Peter Kargaard and was brought to the Tender on September 27, 2009.
