This compact house overlooking a lake to the north of Oslo features four intersecting pitched-roof volumes, which radiate out towards the landscape to frame distinct views and shelter a pair of patios.
Mork-Ulnes Architects, which has offices in San Francisco and Oslo, designed the property for the family of an American geologist who moved to Oslo for his work.

The house is situated on a hilltop at the northern edge of Nordmarka ? a wilderness around an hour north of the Norwegian capital. From its elevated position, the building looks down onto Mylla Lake.
The family's brief for the 84-square-metre building asked for three bedrooms, including a bunk room for the children, two space-efficient bathrooms, a small annex for storing and maintaining outdoor equipment, and a two-person sauna.
The starting point for the design was the idea of the tradition Norwegian "hytte" ? a small and basic shelter containing a series of compact rooms. Typically these buildings have outdoor toilets and no running water.
Many Norwegians own their own hytte in the countryside, and the Mylla house is intended to evoke the simple, utilitarian qualities of these dwelllings, whilst incorporating modern amenities and creating a more generous interior space.

The building was required by planning regulations to feature a gabled form, which the architects split in half to create four mono-pitched volumes arranged like a pinwheel.
The layout and materiality are informed by its context, with ...