Arctic light

Customer story

28.06.2021

The living room of a house with a pitched roof, where the roof rises up to the front wall of the building. The white walls and ceiling emphasise the sense of space in this already bright room.

When the landscapes are ablaze with colour, one can relax indoors amidst a soothing palette of hues. On the shores of Lake Kuusamo, one can enjoy the northern light, even though we are well south of the Arctic Circle.

When the owner of the house returned to Kuusamo, the place of his youth, some four years ago after a journey of study and work lasting nearly two decades, he was accompanied by his partner and their pre-school-aged daughter. As their living environment changed, the family needed a home that would make their lives happy. They wanted to build it in a lakeside setting as close as possible to the amenities of Kuusamo.

Achieving this goal was not easy, but fortunately not impossible either. After a few years of searching, several plots for detached houses came up for sale on the shores of Lake Kuusamo, among which the couple found a truly magnificent 5,700-square-metre building site. The slope was covered in old spruce trees; by felling them up to 50 metres from the shore, a magnificent view of the lake was revealed. The plot also includes over 60 metres of private shoreline. The four-kilometre drive to the centre of Kuusamo fitted perfectly within the couple’s original plan.

The project that would make the family happy got underway with the purchase of the plot. Then they needed a house.

An architect to the rescue

The couple had a clear vision of a house with a pent roof and large windows, but they wanted an architect to draw up the final plans. They searched Oulu for a suitable professional who could capture their ideas. There were a few options. From the group, they chose architect SAFA Anna-Maija Syväniemi. She was best able to interpret the couple’s ideas and quickly presented her own suggestions for details that would enhance the overall design. The end result was, in the clients’ view, excellent – a spacious, light and attractive long-term home for a family of three.

While searching for a plot, the idea of a stone house crossed their minds, but from the outset, a log house was the strongest option. That is what they set out to build. As did most of the buyers of the neighbouring plots. A total of six plots were sold on the shore, four of which now have log-framed detached houses standing on them.

The glass front door of the Utility room looks out onto the lake. Worktops and household appliances are situated on either side of the Utility room. — A large window in the walk-in wardrobe. The large walk-in wardrobe, situated in the corner, has a floor-to-ceiling window that lets light in around the clock during the summer. Access to the terrace from the sauna end is via a small hall, next to which is a spacious utility room. There is also a captivating view of the lake from there.

Three timber log house manufacturers were shortlisted. The client visited each representative to discuss the project. The closest one, Kuusamo Log Houses, was selected from the group, with particular attention drawn to the airtightness of the walls in their product. The promises were also fulfilled, as an airtightness test carried out after the house was completed showed an air leakage rate of 0.5, which is below the passive house standard.

– The result is undoubtedly a combination of Kuusamo Log Houses’ technical airtightness solutions, meticulous construction work and, in particular, the sealing of openings. I spent several days sealing all the openings, doors and windows myself. I taped the top compression gaps from the inside with air barrier tape, installed sheet-like Ekovilla as thermal insulation in between, and stapled breathable tar paper to the outside of the compression gap as a wind barrier. In other words, the gaps have double sealing against wind and draughts, recalls the owner of the work carried out during construction.

The best possible builders were chosen for the house. The owner knew a local pair of brothers who had plenty of experience specifically in building log houses and a good reputation. They were successfully booked well before the frame arrived on site. Pekka himself and his father, Veijo, were closely involved in the project. In addition to overseeing the construction work on a daily basis, Veijo took care of the logistics of the materials and, when necessary, collecting them from the hardware store.

The sauna features panoramic windows overlooking the lake. The sauna walls are light in colour, but the benches and ceiling are dark brown. — Panoramic view of the lake. The family did not want bay windows, preferring clean lines, but an exception was made for the sauna, which was set half a metre back from the wall line. The panoramic glazing makes the view from the sauna perfect.

The family moved into their new home during Christmas week 2017. That marked the beginning of a happy life. This new chapter was made complete by the arrival of Max the cat into the family.

Purchases from local businesses

They wanted to use local Kuusamo businesses as much as possible for the various needs of the house project. This was supported by the solid expertise in the construction sector found in the area.

For the living room’s large window area, matching glass was found only at Klas1 in Kuusamo. The view opening up through the window to the Säynäjäperä bay of Lake Kuusamo is, fortunately, on the north side of the house. Now the windows do not need any curtains at all. During last summer’s exceptionally hot days, the temperature inside rose to nearly 30 degrees, even though the sun never shines directly into the house at any time of day. The glass terrace built into the corner of the house prevents even the last rays of the evening sun from hitting the living room windows.

The lady who designed the interior had a guiding principle of keeping both surfaces and furnishings to a minimum and, above all, maintaining a consistent colour scheme throughout the house. The home enjoys the colours of nature, which vary with the changing seasons. The interior should not compete with the colours visible through the windows. Light shades of white and grey also represent timelessness and understated style.

A kitchen that fits the interior design vision was also found at Kaluste Päivärinta in Kuusamo. The sleek cabinets look less like kitchen units and more like furniture for a cohesive living area. At Päivärinta’s shop, they also discovered the integrated extractor hood for the Savon induction hob. Purchasing this further enhanced the minimalist overall look of the living areas, as there is no bulky extractor fan hanging down from the ceiling above the island.

Hirsitalon päädystä löytyy lasitettu terassi, josta aukeaa myös näkymät järvelle. — The terrace is bathed in the evening sun. The glazed outdoor living room is situated in the north-west corner. The summer sun begins to shine there in the afternoon. The terrace catches the last rays of the evening sun through the living room windows, which are deliberately oriented northwards. Otherwise, the interior would become too hot, as the windows are not covered with curtains. The aim is to enjoy the view at all times. The guest room is shown in the left-hand picture.

Only a single shade of paint has been used for the exterior of the house. The walls, window sills and eaves have all been finished with Virtanen Paint Factory’s breathable 4 Oil paint in grey.

Arctic light – this article was first published in the magazine Uusi Koti, issue 1/2019. The article was written by Jorma Välimaa and photographed by Hans Koistinen.