The Adaptable House

Compiled by Teresa Simon

Photography: Jesper Ray/Realdania Byg; courtesy Henning Larsen Architects

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Working quite literally on the premise that “change is a constant”, Henning Larsen Architects design a flexi-space that can be reconfigured to changing family needs...

One oft comments on how one has to readapt one’s home interiors to growing children, aging parents or quite simply a change in lifestyle. Mindsets today veer away from concepts of ‘timelessness’ and ‘durability’ to ‘trendy’ and are more open to a refurbishing exercise every few years. Addressing the basic ‘need for change’, Denmark-based architect firm Henning Larsen, in their continuous quest for sustainable architecture, have conceptualized and realized this 146 sq. m. residence in Nyborg for a realtor, who was eager to explore ground-breaking architecture.

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The Adaptable House is part of a large sustainable development project and is designed to be flexible enough to be one’s home throughout life. The thought of flexibility is inherent even in the choice of materials, in their design and their overall arrangement. The façade of Kebony-wood, especially sugar-impregnated kind of firwood, is made in a way that it can be dismounted in sections and re-assembled in another place. The same reusable principle applies to the window frames that can be carefully taken out and replaced as and when the need arises; a ventilation system that is not dependent on rooms; and electrical installations that are also changeable.

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From the beginning, the house is prepared to be extended at three places – on the ground floor, underneath a corbelled building volume at the first floor level or by including 2 terraces on the first floor.

 

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The load bearing walls - functioning as both inner and outer walls, are made of lightweight concrete or air-entrained concrete, which is massive but filled with small air-bubbles to make it super-isolating and compliant with the energy frame. The non-load bearing walls - mainly sliding doors and partition walls convenience reconfiguration even on an everyday basis; additionally the first floor has mobile closet-walls that can be moved around and divide the first floor into either two, three or four rooms or make it one big room. The closet walls are light enough for two people to carry them, but robust enough to be soundproof, when locked between floor and ceiling.

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The adaptable home centres around flexibility and consequent conservation of resources with an overall vision to reduce CO2 emissions. The best part is: the house is actually inhabitable and not just a great idea or a concept.