Casa Spodsbjerg

Casa Spodsbjerg sits within a beautiful plot facing the open sea, separating East and West Denmark. The architectural brief for Casa Spodsbjerg was to create a residence that could house a growing family with both children and grandchildren – It would become a summer home for a couple and at the same time function as an ideal setting for family weekends and sunny summer holidays.

The house took inspiration from the previous building a traditional summer house from the 1920s, as well as more contemporary, natural influences. One of the main considerations was that the house should blend into the area. The new design was bigger than the existing structure in place, so it was very important that the house was visually brought down in scale. Over time, the design grew organically to cover new needs and to adapt to the site specific qualities of the plot. 

The structure is composed of two parallel and staggered volumes on a concrete foundation. The sitting rooms and bedrooms are on the first floor, cantilevered from the base. This part of the building is clad with black painted wooden boards.

The kitchen and living room features expansive floor to ceiling windows to achieve an unbroken view of the sea and private beach alcove to the East. The spa, some bedrooms, basement and bathrooms are on the lower story and are more shielded, allowing for a quiet and peaceful place to rest. 

Casa Spodsbjerg uses a limited number of exceptional materials in its design. Concrete is used for the base and internal forms and a consistent palette of light coloured Dinesen douglas planks are used throughout - on the floorboards, stair hand rails, kitchen table, bathroom back wall the and ceiling. Outside, Black painted fir wood clads the façade. All ceilings run from exterior to interior and are in douglas pine. 

Inspiration for the refined material palette of wood and concrete originated from both the client and environment, explains architect and partner at Christoffersen Weiling Architects, Niels Christoffersen. The client had seen summerhouses previously created by the same design team on the island of Rømø, which are also in concrete and dark wood and was inspired. At the same time Casa Spodsbjerg is situated in a mixed area with both permanent residences (in concrete) and summerhouses (in wood). Therefore the two materials were chosen to help ensure a simple and natural architectural expression, says Niels Christoffersen.

Located on a beautiful site facing the open sea, Casa Spodsbjerg uses a limited number of exceptional materials in its design. This includes Dineson Douglas wood and polished concrete, alongside sculptural fittings from Danish manufacturer VOLA.

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With unobstructed views onto the Storebælt, this impressive holiday home is nestled within an idyllic spot, facing a private beach. Completed in 2010 by Niels Christoffersen and Erik Weiling of Arkitema Architects (now founding partners at Christoffersen Weiling Architects), this home is designed to take advantage of the views and characteristics of its site. 

The structure is composed of two staggered sections on a concrete foundation. The living room features floor to ceiling windows to achieve an unbroken view of the sea and beach. The kitchen is designed with a simple yet precise layout, with an emphasis on purity. Casa Spodsbjerg uses a limited number of exceptional materials in its design, including Dineson Douglas wood, polished concrete and stainless steel. For this very reason, both the client and architect agreed that the iconic VOLA KV1 tap, finished in brushed stainless steel was a perfect fit within the design scheme. Surrounding the central tap, concrete is used for the kitchen base and internal forms, the floors are a light Dineson hardwood, and the ceilings covered with a warm, Dinesen slatted wood. 

The bathroom in the lower level of the house was originally designed as an indoor/ outdoor fresh seawater relaxation area. The brief was to emphasise the connections with the sea and waves gently crashing against the shore. Practicalities came in the way of this exciting idea, but the final layout that replaced the draft design was no disappointment. The view from the relaxation area to the beach was intentionally open in order to allow a full view from the inside, to the outside (to keep an eye on children playing). The sculptural VOLA shower combination 5471R-051 (which combines the 050 wall mounted head shower, with 5471R thermostatic mixer) seamlessly fits into this space. One dramatic design flourish, a surface roof light positioned directly above the 050 shower head allows a beautiful inlet of natural light which enhances the space further still. 

The generous spa-like bath is served by the VOLA 1641T8 two handle mixer with bath spout with hand shower. This space is a serene area to gaze out to the Storebælt. In other bathrooms, the VOLA 2471-081 one handle built-in mixer also features. 

Both the client and architect reached a decision early on in the specification process that VOLA was a natural choice - with the quality, the design and heritage that accompanies the iconic Danish manufacturer, they felt confident that the VOLA range chosen would suit the accompanying materials for generations to come. Christoffersen Weiling Architects are proud to call themselves VOLA advocates - having specified VOLA in countless homes across Europe, VOLA will always be their preferred choice of tap or shower fitting due to the flexibility the range offers. VOLA is a brand made for Architects and interior designers.