At the entrance to Grønsfjorden, in southern Norway, sheltered from the strong winds on the coast at Lindesnes, lies a stunning and secluded cabin. Finished almost entirely in wood, both throughout the interior and with its Kebony wood exterior cladding, the nature-oriented summer cottage has become a welcome refuge from the hustle and bustle of everyday life.
Daniele Sales Myrhaug, co-founder of local architecture and design office Alma Eik, brought her studio’s holistic philosophy of harmonious home design into the creation of her own new cabin. Having moved to Norway from Brazil sixteen years ago, an emphasis on the tranquillity afforded by a close relationship with forests was central to the project’s inspiration. As Daniele comments: “Nothing takes the pulse down like a walk in the woodland, so when I was designing my dream cabin, the goal was to recreate the feeling of being surrounded by trees.”
The aim was to build a home that was architecturally interesting and functional, whilst adhering to key principles of sustainability and integration to the local environment. The cabin, which measures just 90m2 in size, has three bedrooms, an open living and kitchen wing, bathroom, hallway, loft, and two terraces. Large windows and sliding doors offer sea views from both terraces, as well as bringing both nature and daylight into the cabin. Inside, all of the rooms, with the exception of the bathroom and the area around the fireplace, are clad in plywood. Almost all the furniture is bespoke, crafted specifically for the property, maximising the space and functionality of the interior as much as possible.
For the exterior facade, Daniele chose to finish the building with Kebony Clear Cladding, directly evoking the rustic, natural character of the surrounding forest. “We all have a responsibility to think about sustainability,” says Daniele, “If you enjoy what you surround yourself with, you won't want to get rid of it. Kebony Clear cladding is sourced from FSC-certified forests and the materials contribute to the overall experience of being there, not only in terms of sustainability, but also tactility, from the smooth surface of the facade cladding to the smell of wood inside the cabin.’’
A pioneer in sustainable building practices for over 25 years, Kebony is the leading global producer of dually modified™ wood. Developed in Norway, the patent protected Kebony technology transforms sustainable softwoods, such as pine, into products with comparable, and in some cases superior, aesthetic and mechanical characteristics to tropical hardwoods. This diverts the need for deforestation of the planet’s vital rainforest sinks, helping to reduce CO₂ emissions.
The wood is first infused with a bio-based liquid, activating a chemical reaction in the wood cell walls to become 50% thicker, increasing the dimensional stability, durability, and hardness of the wood. The resulting Kebony wood has a significantly reduced water sensitivity and does not splinter which, alongside its minimal environmental impact and refined aesthetic finish, made it the ideal material for the Daniele’s beautiful lakeside cabin.
Nina Landbo, International Sales Manager for Kebony, comments: ‘’We are delighted to see Kebony proving to be a popular choice of cladding material for architects worldwide, and to see these eco-conscious inspirations brought to life through beautiful new private projects of all scales. We wish Daniele many years of enjoyment in her cabin, amidst the natural harmony afforded by the use of sustainably sourced Kebony wood‘’.
