A photo of Pebermosen. I used drone-imaging to get an overview of the entire area.
The project's design adhered to three main principles:
1) The cabins total calculated energy consumption had to comply with the Danish Building Regulations §475, never exceeding 33 [kWh/m2/yr]. This had to be reached using only photovoltaics leading to a small battery storage system and passive design strategies for low-tech buildings.
2) The building's total footprint could not exceed 45 sq. m.
3) The cabin had to feature good light conditions for working and living. This meant at the very least a daylight factor of 2-5% on the surface of the author's desk area. However, the project had ambitions of creating much more than just that. These light conditions were calculated using a daylight simulations script in Grasshopper.
Situation plan showing the relative sun path and placement of the cabin.
Near the south east shore of the lake, the cabin finds itself in a former pinewood area, now cut down and abandoned to increase biodiversity. In a response to its immediate surroundings, the refuge seeks to diverge itself from its context in a sharp, salient yet vernacular form, which in turn emphasizes the curved, calm and organic nature as seen in the rolling hills of Hammer Bakker.
Drone image showing the south west side of the lake, where I chose to place the cabin on the barren patch of land that used to be a pinewood plantation.
West elevation.
South elevation.
Whether the cabin is inhabited or not, the common visitor of the park is met with either an open or a completely shut facade respectively, as the shutters are to be opened upon arrival and closed when leaving by the author. The introverted nature of the house, as defined by the Latin word “refugium” meaning “a place to flee, to hide in”, is shown by the nature of the ~600mm thick walls and floors, made with 100% biogenic insulation and locally sourced pine. These thick walls serve as keepers of a sufficient U-value to regulate the cabin's energy consumption, but also act as a "shell", creating a clear transition between the outside world and the inside. In using this refuge, the author is interpreted as an individual that seeks inspiration, but also requires ample space for concentration with no room for distractions.
In keeping with the passive, low-tech strategies for design, the facade features pine wood treated with the Japanese "Yakisugi (Shou Sugi Ban)" method, charring to outer most layer. This protects the wood from shifting climatic conditions, moisture and bug infestation without using any chemicals.
One main aspiration for this project is to create an environmentally sustainable cabin that complies with the Danish Building Regulations §475 whilst also cultivating good light conditions for working and living as an author. In response to this, the project utilizes a combination of passive and active design strategies and locally sourced biogenic insulation (eel grass) and locally sourced pinewood in the construction. The cabin's total calculated energy consumption is 29,5 [kWh/m2/yr], which succeeds the minimum requirements of 33 [kWh/m2/yr], making the cabin low-energy certified.
Daylight simulations with Grasshopper ensure ample daylight conditions for work, life and passive solar gain. Here, a daylight factor of 2-5% on the desk-area ensures good work conditions. The 90 degree placement of the window relative to the seating at the desk protects the author from eye-strain due to high-contrast light-conditions. The useful daylight illuminance of the floor-area ensures that no area receives an excessive amount of light or a complete lack thereof.
The calculations show how the cabin had more than one iteration in order to reach Low-Energy class (below 33 [kWh/m2/yr]), subsequently reaching a total energy consumption of 29,5 [kWh/m2/yr].
In fact, the project has to undergo many different iterations, altering choice of insulation (U-value calculations), orientation and window size (passive solar gain, daylight conditions and energy consumption), volume and functionality (surface-to-wall ratio) and much more.
Floor plan.
Stepping stones lead way along the charred pine facade, activating the senses through floors of agility. However, the cabin itself responds to the user in a way akin to that of its response to the surroundings; by contrast and opposition, in a hope to activate the user. Neither the shape of the cabin or the facade give any instance of how to enter. Only the orientation of the cladding communicates which surfaces are interact able. The horizontally orientated boards on the facade cannot be interacted with. The vertical boards, however, represent surfaces that the resident can open or close.
South section.
The interior of the cabin abandons the Nordic exterior, favoring Japanese dogmas of arranging the served and serving space. This in turn creates different opportunities for transforming the space for different functions throughout the day. Along the eastern facade the floor is lined with Tatami matts. These Asian floor matts, measuring 180x90, resembling the dimensions of an average human, can be used in both daily activities as well as sleeping on during night. Subsequently, the user is required to adjust their prerequisites of how space is used, slightly altering their perspectives. Ultimately, NATIVE DIMENSIONS seeks to inspire the writer by adjusting and their entrenched habits through an alternate understanding of spacial functions.
Constructional detail, showcasing the sustainable and local approach to materiality. The thick nature of the walls helped cultivate the design, as a "refuge" in this project is interpreted as something that is introverted yet is in strong dialogue with its context.
The construction utilizes eel grass as the insulating element. Eel grass is a naturally sourced material that washes up along the coasts of northern Jutland, proven as a traditional construction element with the seaweed-houses of Læsø.
The load bearing construction is purposefully sourced from pine, as this invasive type of tree, native mostly to Norway and Sweden, is being cleared from the Danish forests to increase biodiversity and reinstate a more local balance in fauna and plant life. By using pine, the project ensures that this invasive type of tree is subsequently reintroduced to the area with a new function.
