Projects / Dwelling     

Log House, Oppdal

Jarmund/Vigsnæs explore the new possibilities of an ancient building tradition.

Architect: Jarmund Vigsnæs Arkitekter AS
Published 03 Oct, 2013
 
Log House, Oppdal. The project is comprised of two buildings, a main house and an annexe. Here: Main house from the south. The project is a ­development of an earlier idea of fitting an old log house with a new glass extension. Glazed and log-structure spaces alternate in the new main house.

Log House, Oppdal. The project is comprised of two buildings, a main house and an annexe.
Here: Main house from the south. The project is a ­development of an earlier idea of fitting an old log house with a new glass extension. Glazed and log-structure spaces alternate in the new main house.

Main house, view from the east.

Hall, main house.

Kitchen in the main house.

Bedroom and bathroom on level 1, main house.

Site model. The annexe in the foreground, main house at the back.

Log chunks are used in the walls of the annexe garage.

Log chunk walls is a traditional technique suitable for the dry local climate.

Bedroom in the annexe.

Log chunk wall, detail.

Annexe.

Site plan.

Main house, plan level 1.

Main house, plan level 2.

 
Completion: 2012

Photo:
Nils Petter Dale

Log construction is alive an well in Norway, as far as demand, craftsmanship and materials are concerned, but few architects have been interested in developing the traditions in this field, reducing it to a predictable log house-kitsch.

In this project, however, Jarmund Vigsnæs and their client were interested in exploring the opportunities of this building technology. The project comprises a long main house alternating traditional heavy log walls with modern glazed volumes, and an annex. Log houses are exempt from current U-value requirements, and so the walls have no additional insulation. Parts of the garage and outbuilding are made with wood chunk walls, a traditional technique suitable for the dry local climate, where waste log ends are set directly into mortar.