Designed by JVA Jarmund Vigsnæs AS Architects MNAL, the Cabin in Nordmarka is a 120-square-meter retreat completed in 2004 in a freshly cut clearing in a forest near Oslo, Norway. Created primarily for use during the winter cross-country skiing season, the cabin is elevated off the ground and is designed to take in views of the soft hills, lakes, and low winter sun toward the southern horizon.

The design is conceived as a "thick house," with secondary spaces serving as a form of insulation between the exterior and the interior core. This core is a two-story central space that functions like a small urban piazza and is filled with light from the sides and above. This central area features varied ceiling heights, ranging from smaller, cave-like children's beds to a high-ceilinged common room. Natural light is filtered into this central space through the surrounding secondary rooms.

The materials and color palette reflect traditional housing in the area: a black-stained wooden shell and a light-wood interior. The timber construction features substantial insulation, with walls insulated to 15 cm, floors to 20 cm, and the roof to 25 cm. Wooden panels are used for cladding both the interior and exterior, and the roof is covered with wooden panels over a membrane. Interior fittings and the kitchen are custom-designed by the architects, using pine plywood. Pine and fir were used for both the cladding and construction. The bathroom and hallway floors are finished with limestone, and a plastered masonry fireplace provides warmth.

Credits

Architects: Einar Jarmund and Håkon Vigsnæs of JVA Jarmund Vigsnæs AS

Photography: JVA Jarmund Vigsnæs AS