Architect Teemu Hirvilammi has completed a wooden house for his own family in the Finnish city of Lahti, featuring dark external walls and a contrasting interior of pale spruce wood (+ slideshow).

Called House H, the building house has a traditional gabled form. It is completely covered with vertical painted battens, which are stained to give the building its dark exterior.

"The dark colour is chosen to quiet down the visual rivalry with the surrounding buildings and to act as a peacemaker in the cityscape," Hirvilammi told Dezeen.
"The colour is a traditional Nordic paint known in Finland as Punamulta, but with a dark pigment added."

The house is located in the residential neighbourhood of Kivistönmäki, which is close to a railway station, his children's school and their grandparents' house.
The area used to be occupied by forestry and farming enterprises but has gradually developed into a residential neighbourhood. Hirvilammi wanted to reference this heritage with a house that demonstrates wood craftsmanship.

Related story: Lake cabin by Sini Kamppari features slatted timber walls and a projecting terrace

"In a wider context, House H reflects an image of a traditional house of its area, built using vernacular craftsmanship," said the architect.
"But more than that, it is a contemporary wooden house which is tailored to its demanding site and conditions."

The wedge-shaped plot provides enough space for the na...