BOXHOME
Norway
205 square feet
Sami Rintala (Architect)
"Just a generation ago, Nordic men were all expect-ed to build their own house, and Rintala wants to return to that practice. Recently, however, especially in his native Finland, there has been an exodus from the countryside, with people moving to poorly built urban constructions, and the tradition has largely been lost.
Rintala is interested in incorporating traditions from other cultures, too. The galley of the Boxhome is a fully integrated kitchen and dining room, and the resident would eat and entertain in the Japanese style on a platform at a low table; the two hot plates and sink in the surface of the table are nods to the Korean way of eating. (Guests are given the raw materials which they cook themselves.) It is sociable and guarantees that the food is hot and prepared exactly to each person’s requirements.
Although the Boxhome was designed for
single occupancy, it can easily accommodate guests. The platform in the
seating area becomes a twin bed, and the bathroom can be made more
private by strategically hanging curtains from the central beams. As
the four of us sit in the living quarters, it feels curiously tranquil
and comforting, the darkness of the roughly hewn wood walls taking on
the characteristics of a cave. Windows and lamps illuminate the
irregularities, and the perfume of the wood—the resinous smell of pine
forests—permeates every corner of the space. Perhaps because smells are
so evocative, it all feels part of the natural world."
(Story by Clare Dudman
/ Photos by Pia Ulin)
Full story here >
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