Design principles — Form follows energy. The shape and orientation of the building were designed to maximize natural light and southern exposure. To achieve this, the site chosen for the building was the highest point of the property, offering remarkable views over the forest and the plain below. The generous glazed surfaces facing south bring in solar gains and heat storage in the thermal mass of the building elements during winter, while minimizing glazing to the north controls heat loss. The long, massive volume of the building was split into 3 main zones, with two side wings slightly rotated relative to the axis of the central body and set apart, yet united by 2 stone towers that mark and emphasize the rotation. The transition between interior and exterior space is very subtle, achieved mostly through small stone or timber terraces at ground level, or directly on the grass. Experienced from the inside, the space is light, open, permeable, while viewed from the outside it appears solid, stable, firmly anchored in the ground, as if it had risen directly out of nature. The use of different, contrasting materials (large glazed surfaces, a light and slender laminated-timber structure set against the massive log walls and stone towers) offers an optimal balance between slenderness and mass. The massive spruce log walls, together with the light and slender laminated-timber structure, form a unique, innovative system, with details custom-designed to accommodate the settling movement that occurs over time as the logs naturally compact and dry. Exterior walls on a laminated-timber structure, insulated with cellulose fibre and wood-fibre insulation boards, clad on the outside with wood or stone, in a ventilated façade system. U=0.16 W/m²K. Flat roof on a laminated-timber structure, insulated with cellulose fibre and wood-fibre insulation boards, waterproofed with bitumen-based membranes. U=0.11 W/m²K. Slab over the basement in concrete, thermally insulated with extruded polystyrene (XPS) and rigid mineral wool insulation; includes underfloor radiant heating. U=0.2 W/m²K. Glazing: aluminium joinery; Low-E double-glazed units with Argon fill, U=0.9 W/m²K.
