Two Swedish architecture firms, Bross and Nick Flygt Arkitekter, have completed Horsö, a striking minimalist summer house located in Kalmar, Sweden. The home features untreated wood construction that seamlessly blends with its natural surroundings along the coastal landscape.
The unique site presents contrasting environments, with dense woodland on one side and expansive views overlooking the Kalmarsund strait on the other. The architects deliberately designed the structure to maintain a "low-key presence" to minimize disruption to the natural setting. Sofia Bross, co-founder of Bross, explained that the summer house features a subtle and integrated design that complements the surrounding nature.
"The structure of the building is characterized by its low-key presence, avoiding any protruding roofs or architectural elements, and a horizontal orientation that correlates with the surrounding landscape," Bross told Dezeen. She emphasized that the choice of materials draws from the local environment, incorporating wood, stone, and untreated timber that will age gracefully and last over time.
To reduce what the architects call the "visual volume" of the home, Horsö was divided into two distinct, single-story volumes - one designed for privacy and another for social activities. These separate structures are connected by an area of irregular stone paving. Both volumes were constructed with timber as the primary structural material and elevated on low concrete plinths designed to mitigate future risks from higher water levels on the site.
The private volume containing the bedroom maintains a more enclosed character, while the social volume features a large glazed living space that opens onto a sheltered terrace. This outdoor area overlooks both the forest and sea, centered around a concrete fireplace and framed by a row of slender timber columns. "Large glass sections are set back into the facade and adjoin a sheltered outdoor area," Sofia Bross noted. "This design choice not only facilitates a gentle connection with the surrounding area but also ensures minimal encroachment on the natural plot."
Throughout the interior of Horsö, the concrete plinth and wooden structure remain exposed, defining the floors, walls, and ceilings. These elements are complemented by wooden paneling and storage crafted from locally-sourced timbers, while the bathrooms feature terrazzo finishes. Bross also designed a series of custom furniture pieces that reflect this natural material palette while introducing bright red accents in the living room and terrace areas.
Both Bross and Nick Flygt Arkitekter emerged from the former architecture studio Atelier Alba. The project represents part of a broader trend in Swedish coastal architecture, joining other recent developments including a coastal home overlooking the Stockholm archipelago by Campus architecture studio and a minimalist home surrounded by oak forests in Floda designed by Per Bornstein. The photography for the Horsö project was captured by Erik Lefvander.
