By using locally sourced spruce for this small, 140 sq m home in Karis, southern Finland, with no internal walls, Helsinki-based architect Marco Casagrande has created a continuous, vessel-like home that he describes as 'sailing through the woods'
Apelle House, Finland, by Marco Casagrande
Apelle House, Finland, by Marco Casagrande
The nautical comparison isn't limited to the design. In fact, the carpenters who were hired to build Apelle normally build boats, not buildings
Casagrande aimed to create a home that would stay warm and comfortable in the bitter Finnish winter, but also open to nature in the idyllic summers
The home's four large doors can remain open to let air inside, and multiple shaded patios give the residents spaces to dine and relax outdoors
Keeping the space warm and efficient in the winter dictated most of design. Geothermal pipes provide the home's primary heat, and are augmented by two wood-burning fireplaces
Portholes that face a desk allow direct light into the living area, as do skylights and a glass wall at the entrance that faces west to soak in the setting sun
'When the sun is circulating, it comes through that skylight and illuminates different parts of the house at different times of the day,' says Casagrande
'That changing of light inside the house creates such a good feeling,' the architect adds
The monochrome shower room
Wood dominates throughout the house
Casagrande wanted to create a harmonious connection with nature that would disrupt the landscape as little as possible, when designing the building
The resulting structure, perched on a ridge, is the architect's contemporary take on the traditional tupa, a multifunctional home allowing for a variety of activities