Making Much of Little: Summer House in Torekov

The fishing village of Torekov, which is situated on the Bjäre peninsula, counts around 1,000 inhabitants; it has now had a further building added to it. The new structure by MAKA Arkitektur refers to the local building tradition of one-and-a-half-storey, gable-roofed houses with a great degree of formal precision. Furthermore, it makes the best possible use of the lot, which measures a mere 500 m². The neighbouring building, which stands directly on the property line, enabled a looser interpretation of Swedish building laws and a reduced distance to the edge of the lot.

The summer house develops in a horseshoe shape around an old cherry tree. The home itself comprises the main house and two additional structures to the sides. The main building, which is around 16 m long, has a simple, orthogonal floor plan featuring a central dining kitchen with an adjacent bedroom. This area is generally inhabited by the family’s grandmother and is planned as a future retirement residence.

The two additional, single-storey wings contain a living room with a rooftop terrace and a guest suite that can be flexibly used and has a separate entrance. Large windows with sliding elements create a visual connection between the spatially separated living and dining areas, which face the garden. Indeed, the garden connects all the shared areas and,  in the summertime, becomes the home’s central living space.

The well-considered choice of materials is based not only on ecological factors, but on visual aspects as well: Lime plastering on the walls and ceilings, oakwood flooring and roof panelling of pre-patinated, anthracite-coloured zinc work together to produce an unobtrusive, harmonious overall picture.