An oasis in Stockholm’s archipelago

Right by the water on an island in the Stockholm archipelago lies the Karlsson family’s glittering jewel of a home. The crescent-shaped plot lies nestled between a rocky escarpment and the point where the waves lap the shore, blending with the exposed cliffs, the pines and the bogs to form the perfect oasis in this idyllic Scandinavian landscape. Due to the distinctive geometry of the landscape, the family knew when they began planning their house in 2008 that a traditional, rectangular glass house would be out of the question. Instead, they enlisted an architect to design a building that would allow them to make the most of the plot’s unusual shape.

The result was a house that follows the line of the craggy escarpment down to the beach, becoming wider and wider as it nears the shoreline. From the outside, it seems as if the house is made up of several disparate segments stitched together, but inside the rooms flow into one another, providing an enchanting path down to the water. “We wanted to build a place that would allow us to be as close to the water as possible while still blending in with the rock face. And at the same time, we wanted a pergola between the slope and the house that would be sheltered from the wind,” says Anna, the owner of the house.

A sheltered glass house to extend the summer months

Due to its coastal location, the family knew that their house would need to be able to handle the harsh weather conditions. The high winds in particular are a challenge that comes with the territory. On blustery days and late summer evenings, the Karlssons were worried that it might be a little too chilly to use the pergola, even during the warmer part of the year. As a result, they decided to incorporate shelter from the elements into their design so they could enjoy their view of the sea even when the temperatures dropped off. This was what led them to the idea of building a glass house between the main building and their guest house, so they could enjoy the outdoors for longer. They wanted a long glass house that would provide shelter from all kinds of weather – which is why the family eventually chose the Solarlux SDL Atrium.

Opening sides provide a wide range of options

Due to the high level of shelter the family required to deal with the exposed location of their new home, they opted for elements from Solarlux’s weatherproof SL25R system, whose vertical profiles keep the wind and rain out completely. Unlike conventional glass house elements, the individual glass panels in the SL25R don’t just slide to one side. They can also be turned and pushed together to form a compact bundle, which can be nestled at one side of the opening to make it even wider – something the family had been dreaming of for a long time. The third side of the glass house was fitted with SL45 fixed glass elements.

“Thanks to our SDL Atrium, we can now enjoy longer summers”

The two sides of the glass house with the slide-and-turn system can be opened up along almost the entirety of their respective widths so the structure can be used as a glass canopy – a flexible solution that allows the Karlssons to adapt to the daily weather conditions and the needs of their family. “Being able to open up the walls at both ends of the glass house gives us a great way of linking together the beach and the more hilly parts of our property. Thanks to our SDL Atrium, we now have a wonderful glass house that makes our summers longer and allows us to enjoy the view of the sea throughout the warmer months,” says Anna in conclusion.

For more information on Solarlux glass canopies and glass houses, click here.