COMPOSITE WINDOWS AND DOORS FOR A SWEDISH SUSTAINABLE HOME
A couple in Sweden found the perfect glazing solution for their dream villa on a cliff top.
Andreas and Jennie Vinterthun’s dream villa is situated on a cliff top just outside Veddige in Halland on the west coast of Sweden. The family and their new home featured on the popular Swedish TV show ‘Husdrommar’ or ‘House Dreams’, similar to the UK’s ‘Grand Designs’, where during the spring of 2021 you could follow the family’s journey from planning, to finally settling into their new home. “It became quite stressful at the end”, exclaims Andreas!
Villa Vinterthun is set on a hill a couple of miles outside Veddige. The house is 36 metres in length, with the kitchen, living room and terrace at one end benefiting from an expansive view of the Halland landscape.
The couple decided to participate in the ‘House Dreams’ programme but it all turned a bit stressful for them to finish the project in time. “There were probably still a few screws missing in the terrace”, Andreas says. In the end it became the encouragement they needed to complete the home in time for the filming.
When Andreas and Jennie moved to Veddige, outside Varberg, they decided to update a turn-of-the-century villa, but after ten years of constant renovations, they had had enough.
“As I’m a carpenter, I want to do something more in my spare time than just renovating all the time. And I dreamed of something that was technically challenging”, says Andreas.
Andreas had his eye on building plots for sale and one day this plot turned up. The next two years was spent planning, designing, and discussing their new build project.
“I started designing it myself but we eventually enlisted the help of Fabel Architects. When they presented their proposals, I thought: ‘this is ingenious’”, says Andreas.
They designed a 36-metre-long house of 240m2 that ‘merges’ with the rock. The bedrooms are situated along a corridor that finishes with the living spaces: dining area, kitchen, living room and conservatory.
“Had I come up with this myself, I would have thought that “that will never work”. But when I saw the drawings and sketches, it fell into place”, Andreas says.
The property’s windows were supplied by Westcoast, who Andreas had encountered earlier in his role as a carpenter. “They have a very good construction, but it was really the personal service that persuaded us to choose them. If you receive a quote from a large window manufacturer, you will often receive a standard answer. At Westcoast, we appreciated their personal involvement, where they really got to know the project and provided us with suggestions for solutions”, says Andreas.
However the home doesn’t feel like a long, narrow building – the nature of the architecture creates a more airy and spacious experience.
Wherever you are in the house, you are aware of the forest outside. And on the terrace and in the conservatory, “the view is unbeatable”, says Jennie.
The house is built from cross laminated timber (CLT), which is a fast method of construction relatively new to the UK. This type of construction allows the house to ‘breathe’ and provides an even climate throughout.
“It is difficult to describe in words and should be experienced to be appreciated”, says Andreas, who runs his own construction company using the same technology. “It is an honest construction with exposed wooden surfaces that are very pleasant”, says Jennie.
The family moved into the house in October 2020, and are enjoying their new home. “We often get comments that it feels personal at home with us, but it is not something we really planned. That’s just the way we are.”, concludes Jennie.
Take a look out our IMAGE GALLERY for more individual and unique homes using Westcoast aluminium timber composite windows.
CONTACT US to discuss your project on 01359 241944 or email info@westcoastwindows.com
