Architecture studio Rever & Drage has expanded a traditional red-painted house in Raelingen, Norway, adding two volumes linked with green spaces.
Named Chr Tomters Veg, the house extension was designed by Rever & Drage for a growing family who wanted to preserve the character of the existing dwelling while creating new spaces suited for modern life.
According to Rever & Drage, the topography and spatial constraints of the long and sloping site, which is located between two roads, led the studio to design two extensions.
One of these is positioned to the north of the original house, while the second sits to the south, resulting in a trio of red volumes linked by green spaces.
In keeping with the style of the original house, the external palette of the extensions combines a variety of red-toned materials, including painted timber cladding, bricks, tiles and steel surfaces. The facades also incorporate lattices to encourage the growth of plants.
“Latticework adds a subtle layer to the facade and provides support for climbing plants – it softens the exterior, brings seasonal variation and helps tie together the green outdoor spaces between the three buildings,” Rever & Drage co-founder Tom Auger told Dezeen.
A paved courtyard leads to the three-storey extension to the north, which can also be accessed via an underground passageway illuminated by a skylight.
This volume houses a garage in the partially sunken basement level, with a self-contained apartment above and a timber-lined study under a pitched roof on the top floor. From this “atelier-like” study space, an apex window and seat provide views over the surrounding landscape.
To the south, the two-storey extension is accessed via an indoor winter garden, complete with a fireplace and living space.
Large west-facing windows were designed to connect the interior to the surrounding greenery and help capture low afternoon sun, providing passive solar gain during the winter months.
“We introduced two green intermediary spaces – an outdoor courtyard and an indoor winter garden – placed between the new volumes and the original house,” said Auger. “These spaces bring light, plants and seasonal change into the daily life of the home.”
“The dialogue between the red buildings and the surrounding greenery evokes timeless Nordic associations – the red house in the forest, the cultivated and the wild, the domestic and the natural,” he added.
An oak-clad wall, which the studio said “should read as a solid element that you move into”, leads to a bedroom, bathroom, home office and snug in the southern extension.
The studio opted for an interior palette of oak, light ash, brick and exposed concrete, alongside painted surfaces and patterned wallpapers.
“The aim was to create a warm, tactile and timeless space,” said Auger. “An important task was to combine classical detailing with a more modern expression.”
The existing home remains at the heart of the plan, with its layout and proportions largely preserved. Its original blue door and sections of the white window frames have also been retained.
Alterations to the original dwelling include the removal of a small former extension and an old garage, as well as the relocation of the parents’ bedroom, which was turned into a living area for the children.
“The project’s sustainability strategy began with retaining the original house, reducing demolition and preserving embodied carbon,” Auger said. “Several existing elements were kept and repurposed where possible.”
Other projects by the studio featured on Dezeen include a sloping slate viewpoint that extends into a lake and a rustic timber holiday cabin with an angular window.
The photography is by Tom Auger.
Project credits:
Architect: Rever & Drage
Builders: Relief Architecture
Design team: Tom Auger, Martin Beverfjord, Eirik Lilledrange
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