Foreword by the architects:
Ferjubraut is a place for a husband and wife to enjoy their retirement, and for their children and grandchildren to visit on weekends and holidays. It’s meant as a place of peace and tranquility, a home that embraces its natural surroundings and makes the most of its location while also enjoying man-made comforts. The building is located in the countryside on the edge of a gated community, with local access to a golf course and swimming pool. It sits at the end of a cul-de-sac, half buried into a mossy hill overlooking the river Hvítá, the mountain Ingólfsfjall, and the lowlands of southern Iceland.
On approach the building appears almost fortress-like, firmly nestled into the landscape but boasting a distinct outline in contrast to its surroundings. It consists of a slightly skewed trapezoidal structure clad in a single material, with few visible openings. The roof is tilted parallel to the landscape and finished with turf. The property is entered through a passageway that opens onto a grand courtyard offering multiple entrances to the building. Entering through the narrow passage amplifies the openness of the courtyard, giving it an expansive feel, a gesture that is then echoed inside the building where the main living space is entered via a narrow corridor.
The 450 m 2 building consists of three wings arranged around the central courtyard: two of the wings contain bedrooms; the third comprises a living room and terrace. The bedroom wings have been designed to offer privacy, while the living wing features windows on all four sides that capture daylight from every direction and boast spectacular, near-panoramic views – not only towards the courtyard but also outwards to the surrounding landscape. In this way the house allows the natural environment to blend seamlessly into the lived life of the house, offering its residents an intimate-yet-protected experience of the wonders of their natural location, whether that be the soothing sounds of rain, the colors of the surrounding moss, or the sun sparkling on the river.
Selfoss – IS
