Shared holiday home

Sandkås

GOAL no. 12

With more than 200,000 holiday homes in Denmark, their climate footprint, land use and resource consumption are significant factors in Danish society’s sustainable transition. A holiday home in Storedalen is designed for sharing, built using minimal resources and with respect for the surrounding landscape and community.

Holiday homes are increasingly popular in Denmark where an average dwelling size per person of 53 m2 is the highest amongst European countries. While the construction of financially accessible holiday homes is positive for Danish middle-income families, it also comes with negative consequences such as a large carbon footprint, excessive land use and less desirable architectural, environmental, and social impacts on the local environment.

This holiday home in the Storedalen valley on Bornholm is built and owned by three families who use the house both separately and together. It is built primarily using local materials from the island, such as Douglas fir, to reduce the carbon footprint.

To accommodate the shared use, the house has a range of flexible living spaces indoors and outdoors. The patio has open and covered zones. Sliding glass doors diminish the boundary between the interior and the surrounding landscape. The 148 m2 interior is efficiently planned and contains six bedrooms, two bathrooms and storage space.

The house itself virtually floats above the dramatic rock formations, which until a century ago were an active quarry. The building sits on the edge of a rocky slope on a minimal foundation, cantilevered over the spectacular landscape, with stone steps leading up to the entrance.

The project demonstrates that it is possible to build a holiday home which optimizes space and material use in construction and respects the landscape. The occupants share resources and contribute to the local economy and community throughout the year.

Project details

Where: Storedalen 10, Sandkås, 3770 Allinge

Completed: 2019

Client: Mette Schmidt, Camilla Lilleør, Keld Pedersen, Pernille Schyum

Poulsen and Michael Christensen

Architects: Pernille Schyum

Poulsen and Michael Christensen