Duo immersed in nature: 'Two Pavilions' by Carmody Groarke

At first the plan was to extend the main house but this was not easily possible due to technical reasons, so Carmody Groarke designed two external pavilions – a guest building and a studio – set in the extensive landscape of the family farm.

The 'Lake Pavilion' is reached directly from the main house, namely through a tunnel as if in a Hobbit burrow by Tolkien. Both the tunnel and most of the pavilion are embedded in the landscape, thus hiding them from unwanted glances. The square oak-lined interior contains a small kitchen, bathroom and sleeping area and opens up to a view of a small lake in evocative hermitage fashion.

The 'Studio in a Ruin' pavilion on the other side of the main house has been fitted into the remnants of an 18th century farmhouse.  Missing parts of walls were replaced one after the other with concrete elements, making it possible to reconstruct the original shape of the structure. Here again embedding the building in the landscape plays a long-term role – in future the studio pavilion conglomerate is to become so immersed in vegetation that only the overhanging steel roof can be seen above the high grass.