Simonsson House | Claesson Koivisto Rune

Unusually strict zoning regulations ‘designed’ this private house. The site, positioned next to the major river Lule älv, lies in the north of Sweden, just south of the Arctic Circle. The local regulations stipulated a house with a maximum building height of just 4.2 metres. It also stipulated that the house must have a red roof.

The best way to realise a proper second floor, working within these restrictions and, at the same time, making the most of the views towards the river, was to use a single pitch roof construction. Since the building height for a single pitch roof is a calculated mean value around the house, the resulting building height could be kept within the regulations.

The house is composed of two trapezoidal volumes, facing in opposite directions. The larger volume forms the living space, orientated toward the river. The smaller contains a garage and sauna with a roof terrace.

To emphasize the building’s sculptural qualities, the entire house was finished in red paint, fulfilling at the same time the stipulation for a red roof.

Nominated for the Rödfärgspriset (Rödfärg Prize) 2022. 

Photography by Åke E:son Lindman.