TIMJAN | Johan Sundberg Arkitektur

Equal parts refined and generous, an extension in Lund’s residential quarter brings new life to an apple orchard. Dating back to the 1920’s and already meticulously renovated by the clients, the existing villa is supplemented with a generously sized entrance hall, guest room, kitchenette and bathroom. Johan Sundberg Arkitektur lets large glazed openings provide plenty of natural light over stone floors and birch plywood walls. The contrast between the different natural materials gives an impression of warmth and airiness.

“This is the classic question: how do we add something new to something old?” says Johan Sundberg. We chose a low building form which, in terms of volume, colour and material, is subordinate to the older house, while maintaining its unique character as a new addition.

The extension's carefully considered detailing and fine-grained facade sits comfortably amongst the apple orchard's lush vegetation. The sedum-clad pulpit roof of anthracite patinated zinc slopes gently towards the stone terrace and closes off the building towards the neighbouring plot. At dawn and during the day, the glass partitions reflect the changing character of the sky. In the evening, the higher volume disappears into the darkness while the openings shine like a lantern.

Thanks to the neutral colour palette of the facade and roof, the addition is able to express its own qualities while remaining subordinate to the surrounding buildings. High-set windows capture the light of the open sky while maintaining privacy. The bedroom, kitchenette and bathroom are accessed from the entrance hall in an open living space to be used as a guest room, rental or taken over by the family's sons when they grow up. The extension opens out onto a stone terrace via a step of cast concrete, both of which were installed by the clients.

“The extension is a clear addition with its own language which doesn’t try to imitate the old house”, explains project architect Max Germundsson. The materiality of our custom designed vertical paneling in untreated larch reinforces the proximity to the garden and helps to reduce the overall scale.

The entrance hall completes the original villa and makes it significantly more accessible. Previously atop a flight of steps, the entrance now sits at ground level, simultaneously improving the connection to the basement level. Enveloping the circulation space between the house’s different levels, the tall, bright entrance hall becomes a new living room, where materiality is accentuated through abundant natural light. The clients worked closely with the architects and put in a lot of their own time to get the details right. While the discrete dimensions and horizontality of the extension distinguish it from the existing villa, these qualities marry the extension and its paving to the apple orchard.