Villa Karlsson is a small summerhouse located in Bua, a small fishing village north of Varberg on the west coast of Sweden. The area is unique and highly restricted, all houses in this area must be quite small, a maximum of 120 m2, one story high, and dark in color. They must blend in with the nature seen from the sea below. From the house, it's just a short walk down the slope to the ocean, the small harbor, and a swim in the sea.
The house is designed for a couple and has two bedrooms, a bathroom with a sauna overlooking the ocean, a guest toilet, large floor-to-ceiling windows, a bespoke kitchen, bathroom basins, and wardrobes. There is also a guesthouse located behind the house with an unbroken view of the horizon and sea blow. A part of the house has been drawn to create a sheltered outdoor space protected from rain, sun, and the southwest wind. It also gives the house a sense of being larger than it is.
The exterior wood panel is painted with black pine tar and the sedum roof changes color during the seasons together with the surrounding nature. It also helps filter and delay rainwater. A great effort has been made to recreate the meadows and plants around the house. By bringing the meadow up close to the house and its large windows you get a great connection to nature while sitting inside and at the same time, you feel sheltered. It also gives the house a more permanent place in the landscape.
The house is highly insulated and airtight to stand strong against the cold winters and stormy, harsh conditions on the Swedish Westcoast. At the same time, it can get really warm here during summer so the external sunshading together with sun protection glass plays an important part for the inside environment during the hottest days.