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Klevens Udde by Wingårdh Arkitektontor

By Eric Meunier

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Klevens Udde is an unusual project designed by Swedish studio Wingårdh Arkitektontor.

The aim is to create one of the most exclusive residential areas in Europe, about midway up the west coast of Sweden, close to Smögen Island.

This project, still to be built, features nine amazing triangular houses, as well as twelve terraced houses and five boathouse-style homes.

Villa Mjölskär

Villa Tryggö
Villa Skarvasätt
Villa Pengeskärsbåden
Villa Hatteflu
Villa Byttelocket
Villa Hållö

Villa Kolebådan
Villa Flåttarna

Klevens Udde description:

The project

The Klevens udde project aims to create one of the most exclusive residential areas in Europe, in one of the world’s most beautiful locations: A handful of highly personalised homes just a half dozen metres from the waters of the Skagerrak strait.

A rocky cape near the summer idyll of Smögen Island, Klevens udde has superb potential to gain international status, with its extraordinary setting and the charming local building style merging to form a unique architectural milieu.

Say the word Smögen to any Swede and you’ll conjure up images of sun glinting on waves, sails on the horizon and sun-warmed rocks just perfect to stretch out on and soak up the rays. They’ll picture charming wooden buildings, salty sea air and that sense of freedom that comes of living right at the shore.

Our project preserves all that atmosphere while taking the characteristic west coast architecture to new levels. We have designed the area to create the perfect marriage between individuality and community.

The silhouettes of the houses make the most of the breathtaking surroundings – the barren, rocky landscape and the sea. The “free” positioning of the buildings and a well-defined palette of colours and materials create rich variation and at the same time a unity throughout the neighbourhood. The roads are small-scale, encouraging walking over driving. It should feel natural to take a stroll between the houses down to the sea.

A unique challenge

The buildings are low and close together. Their architecture consists of variations on common themes and shifting geometric shapes, creating a vibrancy in the visual effect. At the same time, windows, facades and landscaping are the same, which pulls the whole neighbourhood together.

Each house in Klevens udde has unique solutions based on the personality and characteristics of the specific site – a very rare occurrence in modern construction.

Klevens udde is the brainchild of PEAB, one of Scandinavia’s leading construction and civil engineering companies. We see the project as a unique chance to create an unforgettable impression in a stunning location that is also heavily exposed to the elements. It is also our way of showcasing much of the expertise we have garnered over the 50 years we’ve been building and developing homes.

The Houses

The triangular houses are the largest and most prominent, poised at the top of the ridge overlooking the sea. With giant glass walls out towards the water and closed smooth sides towards land, these houses make their occupants feel deeply in touch with mother nature. Each building will have its own unique look, with the roof ridge pointing in a different direction. The living space in each house varies from 147 to 229 m² and the facades are made of naturally weathered grey wood cladding. These nine houses form their own little landscape, blending into the rocky Bohuslän coast as its own little protected “ravine”. That sheltered feeling is enhanced by the ground floors interlinked via a shared deck, with their matching glass walls and grey facade panels, some of which extend to shield the windows from prying eyes. The snugness of the houses makes the decks and wide openings between them all the more dramatic.

Tovas Ungar block

One of the more famous shallows southeast of Smögen is Tovas Ungar, which also conceals a wrecked ship in its depths. We borrowed the name for our block of terraced houses with an understated, minimalist design. But the houses have an added luxury – views in two directions overlooking both Smögen and the common area in front of the house. Each unit is about 120 m² inside and the colour scale is locally inspired, the natural grey facades reflecting the surrounding granite. There is a softness about the area, with private zones rubbing shoulders with the common areas where motor vehicle traffic is permitted. All houses have parking spaces nearby.

Sejebåden block

West of Smögen are the Sejebåden shallows, which have lent their name to the third type of houses, closest to the Smögen Boardwalk. Measuring about 85 m², these houses have spacious wooden decks stretching all the way down to the water in a design that calls to mind the region’s typical boathouses. The facades are traditional Falu Rödfärg red and the roofs are copper. Inside, the airy rooms are open all the way up to the roof beam. All the houses in the Sejebåden block are built to the same exacting standards for materials and details as the others. They offer generous living spaces, a large master bedroom and a guest room with separate bath and shower. Wood is a key material inside and out.”

Site Plan

 

Renderings courtesy of Tenjin

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About Eric Meunier

Currently the Owner and Chief Executive of HODYO Design, Eric Meunier's expertise in the design industry spreads over 20 years. He was the driving force behind HomeDSGN's early success, founding this website in 2011. Today, he loves to channel his passion for design into remodeling houses and transforming interior spaces with his keen eye for detail and architectural finesse. Learn more about HomeDSGN's Editorial Process.

1 thought on “Klevens Udde by Wingårdh Arkitektontor”

  1. Contemporary Architecture is plagued by the egocentric thinking of its * Masters *, more interested to promote their image as * startect luminaries * than to achieve truly outstanding architectural works. The list of weird and crazy projects is a long one already. Now we would need to add * The Klevens Udde * in pristine Smogen by *startech Wingardh Ark.kontor * as a leading proposal in craziness. I believe, the people of Smogen will refuse this.

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