This Oslo house is a suburban cabin in the woods
An Oslo house designed like a retreat, Villa Nikkesmelle by Gartnerfuglen, offers the perfect balance between urban and rural
You'd be forgiven for thinking this Oslo house sits in wild countryside, surrounded as it is by mature trees and perched above long, green and blue vistas. Yet Villa Nikkesmelle, as the residence is titled, was so expertly designed by local architecture studio Gartnerfuglen, that, blessed with an idyllic site, it feels more like a little cabin in the woods than an urban home.
An Oslo house like a retreat
To be fair, the home is not located in downtown Oslo. The project sits on a lot on one of Oslofjord's numerous islands – even so, it's not far from the city’s busy centre. But as a result, the architects had to work with a context comprising a protected pine forest rather than the inner city's denser urban conditions.
Conceived to embrace its privileged setting, the family home was designed to be fully in tune with the nature conservation area around it. Raised on stilts, the structure weaves between existing trees and opens up towards the outdoors through swathes of glazing.
Meanwhile, crafted as a modern log construction out of solid pine that remained purposely exposed inside and out, Villa Nikkesmelle creates a dialogue with the natural timber around it. It also provides a nod to the region's building traditions, which have always been inextricably linked to the pine forests of Norway.
The residence is made of of three 'towers', which are linked with glass corridors. Each one of these 'hubs' has a different use – the largest hosts the living, dining and kitchen areas, and the other two house a generous en-suite bedroom each.
Meanwhile, the journey connecting each hub feels like walking among the treetops, offering an unmissable experience of the leafy canopies and views ahead.
