Residential & Hospitality

Kiðjaberg house

Project information

  1. Location By lake Hestvatn, Iceland
  2. Area130 m²

Project details

  1. Year2018 — 2020
  2. StatusCompleted
  3. Partners Minimum ehf
  4. Client Private
  5. Scope Residential design
    Interior design

Harmonious within the landscape

Kiðjaberg house is sheltered by a hill from the west and opens to the south, overlooking the lake to the east. Seen from the hill, the house appears harmonious with the topography and blends well into the colours of the landscape with its larch cladded roof and virtually seamless facade. This seamless texture of wood from the roof to the walls was very important to achieve since the house is most often first seen from top of the hill. The orientation of the house is used to frame the beautiful view to the lake and the mountains to the east, whilst providing privacy from the neighbouring houses.

Nordic was given extensive creative freedom to create something special in this project, as the client only had a few programming requirements. We designed the house as two joined buildings, separated by a corridor, to create a suitable scale for its expansive surroundings.

Bright and open

The larger space contains the master bedroom and an open-concept kitchen and living room featuring vaulted ceilings, oversized windows and a large stone fireplace that creates a contrasting texture to the smooth wood. On the other side there are two additional bedrooms as well as a laundry room and storage space. The two building elements come together in a way that naturally creates a tranquil outdoor space sheltered from the eastern winds.

Serene and comforting

The house is constructed with steel frames and clad with larch on the exterior and birch plywood on the interior. Its form is influenced by traditional Icelandic storage buildings and contemporary barns.

In collaboration with interior design studio Minimum ehf, the materials used for the interior were chosen for their comfort and warmth, creating a serene environment, perfect for enjoying the beautiful panoramic view of extraordinary Icelandic nature.