Inspiring Design: Vega Cottage

When we set out to design and build our cabin we scrolled through thousands of images and social media accounts of cabins and tiny homes from across the globe. During the search, one building stood out from the rest; The Vega Cottage, designed by Kolman Boye Architects a Swedish firm based in Stockholm. The cottage looks at home in its environment, it doesn’t fight or clash with the natural setting in which it sits. This cottage was a key piece of inspiration for us. In a way, we set out to design and build our own version of the Vega Cottage, on a smaller foot print and suited to the New Zealand environment in which our Repose Cabin would call home.

The house stands on the island of Vega in the Norwegian archipelago not far from the polar circle. The site is distinctive for its grand and harsh northern landscape with wide panoramas of the Norwegian Sea and the jagged mountains rising from it.

Seemingly growing from the landscape, the house sits on a rock beneath a granite shoulder negotiating the uneven terrain. As not to disturb the dominant view towards the sea, access to the house is given through a narrow natural ravine densely grown with gnarled birch shrubs and laid out with sea-sand from the nearby shore. The surrounding landscape remains untouched and wild.

The large windows of the house face three directions, each with its strong unique characteristic. They are simple and robust in detailing and the optically white glass conveys undisturbed frames of the ocean, the mountain range and the bedrock.

Organised on two levels adapting to the terrain, the plan is compact, providing generous social spaces within a limited floor area. The upper level is comprised of smaller scale bedrooms and family rooms, whereas the lower level is a large gallery-like space structured around a stone hearth.

Completed in linseed oil painted pine with untreated birch skirting, frames and reveals – the interior is kept subtle with a character of being hand-built – promoting tactile qualities and the attractive patina developed over time.

Location: Vega, Norway
Status: Completed
Gross Internal Area: 140 m2
Materials: Larch, Pine, Birch & Sheet Metal
Engineer: Limträteknik
Images © Åke E:son Lindman
Images & Drawings © Kolman Boye Architects