0 00:00:10,005 --> 00:00:13,325 I think it's time, Caroline,
to go and see how the other half live. 1 00:00:13,405 --> 00:00:15,405 Talk about welcome to my humble abode! 2 00:00:15,485 --> 00:00:19,485 Cor, that is a whole lot of house! 3 00:00:21,925 --> 00:00:25,605 He's Piers Taylor,
an award-winning architect. 4 00:00:25,685 --> 00:00:29,085 I mean, the depth of this wall,
it’s four foot thick. 5 00:00:29,645 --> 00:00:31,005 After you, my Lord. 6 00:00:31,365 --> 00:00:32,805 And she’s Caroline Quentin, 7 00:00:33,365 --> 00:00:36,125 acclaimed actress
and passionate property developer. 8 00:00:36,525 --> 00:00:42,165 This house has the perfect ratio
of bedrooms to swimming pools. 9 00:00:42,325 --> 00:00:46,045 We’ve been given the keys
to some of the most incredible houses 10 00:00:46,125 --> 00:00:47,405 in the world. 11 00:00:47,565 --> 00:00:50,605 If we were left alone here for
any amount of time, I have a feeling-- 12 00:00:50,685 --> 00:00:52,445 -We would ruin this house.
-[laughs] 13 00:00:52,885 --> 00:00:56,885 [Piers] To discover the design innovation,
passion, and endurance needed 14 00:00:56,965 --> 00:01:00,965 to transform architectural vision
into an extraordinary home. 15 00:01:01,245 --> 00:01:03,765 [Caroline] Look. I’m dumbstruck. 16 00:01:04,565 --> 00:01:06,605 [Caroline] We’re travelling the globe. 17 00:01:07,765 --> 00:01:09,325 [Piers] Meeting architects and owners 18 00:01:09,485 --> 00:01:11,245 to explore how their daring homes 19 00:01:11,325 --> 00:01:15,645 respond uniquely
to local landscape, climate, and culture. 20 00:01:15,725 --> 00:01:18,765 I think this is probably
the greatest house I've ever been in. 21 00:01:19,085 --> 00:01:22,325 Whether it’s battling the elements
to construct a dream home 22 00:01:22,405 --> 00:01:25,485 on dramatic Scandinavian terrain... 23 00:01:25,645 --> 00:01:28,565 The architect was nervous
that things would go wrong. 24 00:01:28,645 --> 00:01:29,885 He couldn’t bear to look at it. 25 00:01:30,485 --> 00:01:33,765 [Piers] Pushing the boundaries
of European experimentation... 26 00:01:34,205 --> 00:01:35,965 -I think that’s it.
-I think it is. 27 00:01:36,365 --> 00:01:40,205 When I looked at the proposal,
in the beginning I was almost shocked. 28 00:01:40,765 --> 00:01:44,245 [Caroline] Celebrating craftsmanship
and beauty in Asia... 29 00:01:44,725 --> 00:01:46,005 We’ve likened this house 30 00:01:46,085 --> 00:01:49,405 to dripping chocolate sauce
over vanilla ice-cream. 31 00:01:49,805 --> 00:01:52,005 [Piers] ...or going all out
for glamour in America... 32 00:01:52,645 --> 00:01:56,485 You just do what you do best,
is to create a masterpiece. 33 00:01:57,005 --> 00:01:59,925 Piers! Is this too Miami? 34 00:02:06,045 --> 00:02:08,885 [Piers]
Sprawling fjords and glacial mountains 35 00:02:08,965 --> 00:02:13,365 give Norway one of the most invigorating
and awe-inspiring landscapes 36 00:02:13,485 --> 00:02:14,325 in the world. 37 00:02:15,725 --> 00:02:17,245 [Caroline] Are you excited to be here? 38 00:02:17,325 --> 00:02:20,445 I am. I like extreme places.
I like places that are a long way away, 39 00:02:20,565 --> 00:02:23,165 hard to get to,
beautiful, dramatic, and different. 40 00:02:23,245 --> 00:02:24,645 And this has all those things. 41 00:02:25,045 --> 00:02:26,725 We’re up near the Arctic circle. 42 00:02:30,205 --> 00:02:33,285 [Caroline] With a population
of little over five million, 43 00:02:33,365 --> 00:02:36,765 much of Norway remains
remote and unspoiled. 44 00:02:39,845 --> 00:02:43,045 What do you think makes
the architecture here 45 00:02:43,125 --> 00:02:45,485 particularly relevant
and interesting for us, Piers? 46 00:02:45,845 --> 00:02:47,205 This is the top of Europe 47 00:02:47,285 --> 00:02:50,925 and it has a cold climate,
extreme climate. 48 00:02:51,005 --> 00:02:54,685 And seeing buildings that respond
to that type of environment 49 00:02:54,765 --> 00:02:56,285 I think is really interesting. 50 00:02:57,645 --> 00:03:02,165 On our journey, we'll be discovering
what it takes to design,build, and live 51 00:03:02,245 --> 00:03:03,765 in this rugged wilderness. 52 00:03:06,565 --> 00:03:10,885 [Caroline] It's quite one of the most
spectacular spots I’ve ever been to. 53 00:03:12,205 --> 00:03:16,685 We’ll see how deep-seated tradition
has either been embraced 54 00:03:16,805 --> 00:03:17,845 and updated… 55 00:03:18,725 --> 00:03:22,005 This is for me, personally, perfect. 56 00:03:22,085 --> 00:03:24,045 [Caroline] …or left behind altogether. 57 00:03:24,725 --> 00:03:26,805 Hospital is a word that springs to mind. 58 00:03:27,525 --> 00:03:28,605 Brutal hospital. 59 00:03:29,325 --> 00:03:31,645 We’re taking a boat ride to Vega, 60 00:03:31,725 --> 00:03:35,245 a remote island
400 miles north of Oslo... 61 00:03:36,125 --> 00:03:37,805 where since the stone age, 62 00:03:37,885 --> 00:03:40,165 people have made their living
from the sea. 63 00:03:41,285 --> 00:03:45,285 I’ll be interested to see
how much building there is on the coast, 64 00:03:45,365 --> 00:03:47,885 because the weather is
so violent and so extreme. 65 00:03:47,965 --> 00:03:51,245 [Piers] Historically, I think
only fishermen built on the shore. 66 00:03:51,325 --> 00:03:53,605 Nowadays people
are moving back to the coast 67 00:03:53,685 --> 00:03:57,005 because we can deal with that stuff
in 21st-century building technology. 68 00:03:59,005 --> 00:04:03,605 Vega island is one of around 6,000 islands
in an archipelago. 69 00:04:03,765 --> 00:04:06,405 There are just over 1,200 people
living here. 70 00:04:07,005 --> 00:04:10,005 It's quintessential Norway and very quiet. 71 00:04:11,165 --> 00:04:14,325 [Caroline]
We’re looking for a remote island retreat, 72 00:04:14,405 --> 00:04:17,685 built to blend in
with the surrounding landscape. 73 00:04:20,005 --> 00:04:24,445 Well, there it is,
but you’d hardly notice it, would you? 74 00:04:24,525 --> 00:04:29,245 [Piers] What's fantastic is that
there isn’t a gate, a sign and a driveway. 75 00:04:29,445 --> 00:04:33,045 Nothing’s been cleared.
There’s just a cabin on a rock. 76 00:04:36,325 --> 00:04:38,325 This is Vega Cottage. 77 00:04:40,325 --> 00:04:44,845 This unassuming reinterpretation
of a traditional fisherman’s hut 78 00:04:44,925 --> 00:04:49,925 is in fact, a modern robust home
perched delicately in this landscape. 79 00:04:50,405 --> 00:04:53,005 It's the epitome
of Norwegian understatement. 80 00:04:55,165 --> 00:04:56,965 This is exciting, isn’t it? 81 00:04:57,125 --> 00:05:00,325 The way that the house
is cut around the rock. 82 00:05:00,405 --> 00:05:03,725 There is such a tradition of leveling
the ground, placing a building. 83 00:05:03,805 --> 00:05:05,725 Whereas, this shows
you don’t need level ground. 84 00:05:05,885 --> 00:05:08,485 You match your building to the landscape. 85 00:05:08,565 --> 00:05:10,645 I love this,
the way this is just cut round, 86 00:05:10,725 --> 00:05:12,965 like a bit of carpet round
a piece of skirting board. 87 00:05:14,405 --> 00:05:16,245 [Piers] To resist the extreme weather, 88 00:05:16,325 --> 00:05:18,965 the construction called
for complex engineering 89 00:05:19,045 --> 00:05:22,045 and durable materials,
including Larchwood cladding 90 00:05:22,125 --> 00:05:24,125 and glass four centimeters thick. 91 00:05:24,685 --> 00:05:28,725 It’s really discrete to have
the entrance tucked around the back. 92 00:05:28,805 --> 00:05:31,365 I suppose protected
from the winter winds and the weather. 93 00:05:31,445 --> 00:05:33,525 That's right.
It’s in the most sheltered bit, 94 00:05:33,605 --> 00:05:36,965 because otherwise, you open the door
and the gale takes it out of your hand. 95 00:05:39,845 --> 00:05:41,765 [Caroline]
The challenge for the architects 96 00:05:41,845 --> 00:05:45,485 was to build on rough terrain
without damaging the landscape. 97 00:05:46,405 --> 00:05:47,805 Building on a tiny footprint, 98 00:05:47,885 --> 00:05:53,045 they’ve squeezed a lot of home
into only 140 square meters. 99 00:05:54,525 --> 00:05:56,645 On one side are the bedrooms... 100 00:05:56,725 --> 00:06:01,085 two on the ground floor and a third
for the kids tucked under the eaves. 101 00:06:01,165 --> 00:06:02,045 KIDS BEDROOM 102 00:06:02,125 --> 00:06:03,645 The other side of the cottage 103 00:06:03,725 --> 00:06:06,885 is given over
to a single vaulted family room, 104 00:06:06,965 --> 00:06:08,725 divided by a chimney stack... 105 00:06:08,805 --> 00:06:11,885 into zones for cooking,
dining, and relaxing. 106 00:06:16,045 --> 00:06:19,165 Piers, I really, really like this house! 107 00:06:20,765 --> 00:06:23,285 And I love the fact that you’ve got--
you walk straight in 108 00:06:23,365 --> 00:06:26,245 and suddenly it's family.
It’s all about family straight away. 109 00:06:26,325 --> 00:06:29,125 And then you’ve got
this wonderful stonking great… 110 00:06:29,205 --> 00:06:30,525 -Hearth.
-hearth. 111 00:06:30,605 --> 00:06:32,845 Which does everything, cooking and warmth. 112 00:06:32,925 --> 00:06:36,045 This is an extraordinary
piece of design, 113 00:06:36,125 --> 00:06:39,685 but what I like about it is
that it’s also quite ordinary. 114 00:06:39,845 --> 00:06:42,125 These are ordinary pieces of wood, 115 00:06:42,205 --> 00:06:45,245 ordinary things that you can get
pretty much from anywhere a-- 116 00:06:45,325 --> 00:06:47,485 -Nothing blingy is there?
-it’s an ordinary form. 117 00:06:47,565 --> 00:06:50,245 This is a very-- this is
the most ordinary shape of a building, 118 00:06:50,325 --> 00:06:54,805 and yet the way you put them together,
the way you place them in a landscape, 119 00:06:54,885 --> 00:06:56,885 makes them into a piece of architecture. 120 00:06:59,125 --> 00:07:01,605 -It’s very still, isn't it?
-Yeah. 121 00:07:01,805 --> 00:07:05,805 We're very cosseted. I mean,
imagine being here in an ice storm. 122 00:07:05,885 --> 00:07:08,005 The sound would be incredible,
wouldn't it? 123 00:07:08,085 --> 00:07:10,485 With the rain lashing against that window. 124 00:07:12,245 --> 00:07:15,565 [Piers] The windows are perfectly placed
to respond to key views. 125 00:07:15,645 --> 00:07:18,205 But the house isn’t only about landscape. 126 00:07:18,285 --> 00:07:21,325 And internally,
every inch of space is maximized. 127 00:07:22,445 --> 00:07:26,045 I’ve come across one of these
before on a boat. A space saver. 128 00:07:26,125 --> 00:07:27,525 We have to walk like this. 129 00:07:31,205 --> 00:07:32,085 Hi! 130 00:07:32,725 --> 00:07:33,805 That's nice, isn't it? 131 00:07:33,885 --> 00:07:36,805 I like the little what do you call it?
A gangway? 132 00:07:36,885 --> 00:07:38,405 -Bridge?
-Bridge. Gangway. 133 00:07:38,485 --> 00:07:40,285 -I like that a lot.
-It’s nice, isn’t it? 134 00:07:40,365 --> 00:07:42,965 -[Piers] There are kids' bedrooms up here.
-How sweet. 135 00:07:43,045 --> 00:07:46,125 Yeah, they’re lovely actually.
They’re really under the eaves. 136 00:07:46,205 --> 00:07:49,725 I think the adults' bedrooms
must be down here. 137 00:07:50,365 --> 00:07:54,045 This has got the proper picture window
so that you can lie in bed 138 00:07:54,565 --> 00:07:56,485 and gaze out at the seabirds. 139 00:07:56,965 --> 00:08:00,965 What's nice in here, P, is that
you’ve got this window that opens 140 00:08:01,045 --> 00:08:04,005 so you’ve got
the breeze coming into the bedroom. 141 00:08:04,085 --> 00:08:07,005 [Piers] That is really nice.
The flap that deals with the ventilation. 142 00:08:07,085 --> 00:08:10,685 You can imagine on a hot evening
having the view and the sun setting 143 00:08:10,765 --> 00:08:13,525 and then coming up again moments later
and the breeze. 144 00:08:17,405 --> 00:08:20,285 [Piers] I’m meeting the Scandinavian
architects, Erik and Victor, 145 00:08:20,365 --> 00:08:22,445 whose passion
for working in natural landscapes 146 00:08:22,525 --> 00:08:25,125 is what attracted the owners
to commission them. 147 00:08:25,605 --> 00:08:28,885 Tell me about designing a house
in this extraordinary landscape. 148 00:08:29,565 --> 00:08:33,565 Well, we kind of very early on realized
that we didn’t want to cut down any trees. 149 00:08:33,645 --> 00:08:37,565 We didn’t want to blow away
any ground bedrock. 150 00:08:37,725 --> 00:08:40,365 And we didn’t want to, let’s say,
make a house 151 00:08:40,445 --> 00:08:44,845 that would dominate the terrain
and would kind of take over. 152 00:08:44,925 --> 00:08:47,005 The biggest problem here with the house 153 00:08:47,085 --> 00:08:49,845 was the wind coming from
the big mountain over there, 154 00:08:49,925 --> 00:08:54,125 and it’s actually the lifting force
that is the main issue, 155 00:08:54,205 --> 00:08:55,405 keeping the house down. 156 00:08:55,485 --> 00:08:58,085 So how is this building anchored down
to where it is? 157 00:08:58,165 --> 00:09:02,445 Well, it sits
on pretty big concrete columns, actually, 158 00:09:02,765 --> 00:09:05,805 and they sit on reinforcement bars 159 00:09:05,885 --> 00:09:09,245 that have been drilled into the bedrock
for one and a half meters. 160 00:09:09,845 --> 00:09:11,605 What about
physically constructing a building 161 00:09:11,685 --> 00:09:14,725 with that constraint
of weather and climate? 162 00:09:14,805 --> 00:09:17,165 The hardest part here
constructing it, actually, 163 00:09:17,245 --> 00:09:19,845 was getting the material here
without destroying the landscape. 164 00:09:20,405 --> 00:09:22,365 We had this small pathway leading up, 165 00:09:22,445 --> 00:09:25,565 of course, but that was only
for carrying small things. 166 00:09:25,645 --> 00:09:30,285 So we constructed a sort of lift,
and that helped a lot. 167 00:09:31,525 --> 00:09:35,165 [Piers] Besides this makeshift ramp
used to get materials up to the house, 168 00:09:35,245 --> 00:09:37,925 the team, who could
only build during the summer months, 169 00:09:38,005 --> 00:09:40,725 also used specialist equipment,
like this spider crane, 170 00:09:40,805 --> 00:09:43,285 to leave a minimal impact on the land. 171 00:09:45,485 --> 00:09:47,405 This looks like it’s always been here. 172 00:09:47,525 --> 00:09:50,245 How do you feel about this building 173 00:09:50,325 --> 00:09:53,205 and its relationship to its landscape
and its context? 174 00:09:53,285 --> 00:09:55,565 If you think
about the roofscape of this house 175 00:09:55,725 --> 00:09:57,845 and the sort of landscape around us, 176 00:09:57,925 --> 00:09:59,085 there are small dents. 177 00:09:59,165 --> 00:10:02,845 And what this actually does is
just a tiny little dent in the landscape. 178 00:10:03,405 --> 00:10:04,365 It’s nothing more. 179 00:10:06,565 --> 00:10:09,045 [Caroline]
Silvered by time and the elements, 180 00:10:09,125 --> 00:10:12,565 Vega Cottage sits comfortably
on its rocky outcrop. 181 00:10:12,965 --> 00:10:16,045 It’s owned by theater director
Alex Mork-Eden 182 00:10:16,485 --> 00:10:20,405 who built it with his siblings,
as a place to meet and, well, 183 00:10:20,805 --> 00:10:21,725 hang out. 184 00:10:23,685 --> 00:10:26,005 I’ve just spotted something
out of this window. 185 00:10:26,085 --> 00:10:30,565 They are the two architects and Alex,
the owner of this house, 186 00:10:30,685 --> 00:10:33,445 and they’re naked over there,
standing on the rocks 187 00:10:33,525 --> 00:10:35,845 and I think
they’re about to go into the water. 188 00:10:35,925 --> 00:10:39,325 If that doesn’t explain
what life in Norway is about, 189 00:10:39,405 --> 00:10:41,245 then I don’t know what does. 190 00:10:42,285 --> 00:10:44,445 As if he hadn’t revealed enough already, 191 00:10:44,525 --> 00:10:46,885 I caught up with Alex after his dip 192 00:10:46,965 --> 00:10:50,525 to find out what led him to build here
in the middle of nowhere 193 00:10:50,605 --> 00:10:51,925 with his brother and sister. 194 00:10:52,725 --> 00:10:54,605 My father was born here. 195 00:10:54,685 --> 00:10:57,925 So, and my grandfather
and grandmother lived here, 196 00:10:58,485 --> 00:10:59,365 all their lives. 197 00:10:59,765 --> 00:11:03,245 My father moved away,
but we were here every summer. 198 00:11:03,325 --> 00:11:05,205 It was my childhood paradise. 199 00:11:05,285 --> 00:11:10,165 Was your sort of desire to come here,
was it about 200 00:11:10,245 --> 00:11:11,485 reliving your childhood 201 00:11:11,565 --> 00:11:14,125 or was it about creating
an escape from adult life? 202 00:11:15,365 --> 00:11:19,085 I think it’s a need to be alone sometimes. 203 00:11:19,165 --> 00:11:21,245 And to be really alone. 204 00:11:21,605 --> 00:11:27,165 And to get some quiet and calm
you don’t really get in the city life. 205 00:11:31,085 --> 00:11:35,765 Alex and his siblings now have
their very own fabulous family escape 206 00:11:35,925 --> 00:11:39,765 to gather in
and share with future generations. 207 00:11:42,845 --> 00:11:47,085 [C] It's quite one of the most spectacular
spots I’ve ever been to. 208 00:11:48,725 --> 00:11:54,405 Look at the view,
and look at the fishing huts there. 209 00:11:55,365 --> 00:11:59,845 And then looking back at the cottage there
and in hundreds of years 210 00:11:59,925 --> 00:12:02,725 this architecture hasn't really moved
very far, has it? 211 00:12:02,805 --> 00:12:09,085 [Piers] But I like that sense of using
thousands of years of knowledge 212 00:12:09,245 --> 00:12:11,485 and doing something
that just builds on that. 213 00:12:11,965 --> 00:12:12,885 In this landscape, 214 00:12:12,965 --> 00:12:16,845 I think that this utilitarian way
of building really works. 215 00:12:17,005 --> 00:12:22,005 [Caroline] I think it’s utterly charming
and discreet and just a little treasure. 216 00:12:24,365 --> 00:12:27,045 The second stop on our Nordic adventure 217 00:12:27,125 --> 00:12:29,725 takes us to a home
that couldn’t be more different 218 00:12:29,805 --> 00:12:32,085 than the traditional houses of Norway. 219 00:12:33,005 --> 00:12:34,685 [Piers] We’re heading for Valldal 220 00:12:34,765 --> 00:12:39,325 to a mountainside overlooking
the stunning Norwegian fjord lands. 221 00:12:40,285 --> 00:12:41,925 [Caroline] The landscape may be typical, 222 00:12:42,325 --> 00:12:45,085 but the house we’re headed for
is anything but. 223 00:12:47,685 --> 00:12:49,765 This one breaks all the rules. 224 00:12:53,125 --> 00:12:56,845 [Piers] Almost like an eagle’s nest
built on a precipitous cliff, 225 00:12:56,925 --> 00:12:59,685 this house is the work
of renowned Norwegian architects 226 00:12:59,765 --> 00:13:01,925 who have a reputation for innovation. 227 00:13:07,565 --> 00:13:09,645 This is Summer House. 228 00:13:14,405 --> 00:13:18,205 [Caroline] Oh!
It really is quite incredible actually. 229 00:13:18,285 --> 00:13:20,525 -It’s great.
-It's brilliant, isn’t it? 230 00:13:20,605 --> 00:13:23,085 It’s like a grown-ups' tree house really,
isn’t it? 231 00:13:24,045 --> 00:13:28,365 I mean, I think a complex site,
steeply sloping, with a view in the trees, 232 00:13:28,525 --> 00:13:32,165 for me, personally... is perfect. 233 00:13:33,765 --> 00:13:36,125 I want to go and find out
how it actually stands up here. 234 00:13:36,285 --> 00:13:37,485 [Piers laughs] 235 00:13:37,565 --> 00:13:38,805 [Caroline] I’m going in. 236 00:13:40,285 --> 00:13:42,565 [Caroline] There’s no road access here. 237 00:13:43,285 --> 00:13:46,245 But, hopefully, the house
will be worth the hike. 238 00:13:55,845 --> 00:13:57,325 This is something else. 239 00:14:04,365 --> 00:14:06,445 I’ve seen houses built into rock, 240 00:14:07,045 --> 00:14:11,085 but this is the first rock
I’ve ever seen that’s built into a house. 241 00:14:12,805 --> 00:14:17,165 This has got to be one of
the most exciting rooms I’ve ever been in 242 00:14:17,245 --> 00:14:19,285 and not at all what I expected. 243 00:14:19,725 --> 00:14:20,965 Just look at that. 244 00:14:24,605 --> 00:14:29,245 And the fact that it just slides
into that concrete fireplace... 245 00:14:30,205 --> 00:14:32,125 This is incredible. 246 00:14:32,205 --> 00:14:35,405 This rock, you can see
the strata all the way through, 247 00:14:35,485 --> 00:14:38,045 and it acts as a backplate
here on the fire, 248 00:14:38,125 --> 00:14:40,645 so the heat will bounce off into the room. 249 00:14:41,085 --> 00:14:43,525 This is so thrilling to be in. 250 00:14:52,565 --> 00:14:53,685 It’s really... 251 00:14:54,605 --> 00:14:55,725 It’s a work of art. 252 00:14:59,365 --> 00:15:01,685 [Piers] By shaping the house
around the cliff face, 253 00:15:01,765 --> 00:15:04,365 the architect
has created a series of volumes 254 00:15:04,445 --> 00:15:07,245 that redefine
our notion of what rooms are. 255 00:15:09,045 --> 00:15:13,285 This isn’t simply one big house
subdivided by internal walls. 256 00:15:13,365 --> 00:15:18,165 This is more a series of interlinked
spaces and pods built around the rock. 257 00:15:20,645 --> 00:15:24,285 The entrance leads you into
a huge double-height main living space 258 00:15:24,365 --> 00:15:27,005 with its striking exposed rock face. 259 00:15:27,765 --> 00:15:30,965 Then, traversing the mountain,
is a dining area 260 00:15:31,085 --> 00:15:34,125 and an open plan kitchen
that flow out onto a deck 261 00:15:34,205 --> 00:15:37,125 and an infinity pool
that overhangs the cliff face. 262 00:15:37,925 --> 00:15:39,845 And, of course, there’s a sauna. 263 00:15:42,005 --> 00:15:44,165 A level up, held up on timber columns 264 00:15:44,245 --> 00:15:46,885 are five bedrooms
with their own balconies, 265 00:15:46,965 --> 00:15:48,285 a green roof, 266 00:15:48,365 --> 00:15:51,645 and those incredible views
across the fjord. 267 00:15:52,765 --> 00:15:54,085 Look at this! 268 00:16:00,685 --> 00:16:03,685 I think this is probably
the greatest house I’ve ever been in 269 00:16:03,765 --> 00:16:06,125 and I’ve only been here for a few moments. 270 00:16:11,645 --> 00:16:13,405 And what have we here? 271 00:16:13,485 --> 00:16:14,485 I don’t know. 272 00:16:16,965 --> 00:16:18,245 Yes, I do know! 273 00:16:18,805 --> 00:16:19,885 It’s a sauna. 274 00:16:22,285 --> 00:16:24,405 It’s ludicrously good, this house. 275 00:16:27,485 --> 00:16:30,645 [Piers] The man responsible
for this design is Jan Jensen, 276 00:16:30,725 --> 00:16:34,365 whose award-winning projects have
earned him an international reputation. 277 00:16:36,125 --> 00:16:38,245 His work draws on Norwegian modernism 278 00:16:38,325 --> 00:16:40,725 while connecting deeply
with the landscape. 279 00:16:43,245 --> 00:16:47,565 This is a steep slope
with masses of trees, 280 00:16:47,645 --> 00:16:50,365 a dense tree canopy, limited access. 281 00:16:50,445 --> 00:16:54,725 Tell me about beginning
to fit the building to this? 282 00:16:54,805 --> 00:16:59,725 We tried as much as possible
to adjust the building to the site, 283 00:16:59,805 --> 00:17:01,325 not opposite way, 284 00:17:01,405 --> 00:17:03,325 which is the usual way in our nature. 285 00:17:03,765 --> 00:17:06,485 [Piers] What about the experience
of being in this forest? 286 00:17:06,565 --> 00:17:09,165 [Jan] I think for me and for the client, 287 00:17:09,245 --> 00:17:13,965 one important aspect was
the memory of play. 288 00:17:14,845 --> 00:17:19,645 When you were a small boy,
you built small houses up in the trees, 289 00:17:19,805 --> 00:17:22,485 so it’s kind of this dream 290 00:17:23,005 --> 00:17:27,765 of this extreme freedom
you had to do anything up there. 291 00:17:30,565 --> 00:17:32,645 [Piers]
This site came with real difficulties 292 00:17:32,725 --> 00:17:36,725 and translating a complex set of ideas
into a built structure 293 00:17:36,805 --> 00:17:38,525 was a huge challenge. 294 00:17:40,485 --> 00:17:41,925 [Caroline] With such limited access, 295 00:17:42,005 --> 00:17:44,725 the largest components
had to be airlifted in. 296 00:17:45,245 --> 00:17:48,605 With an 800-kilogram limit
on what could be carried, 297 00:17:48,805 --> 00:17:51,405 it took 17 separate flights. 298 00:17:52,885 --> 00:17:56,365 And just getting the scaffold up
in this tricky terrain 299 00:17:56,485 --> 00:17:58,725 was an achievement in itself. 300 00:18:04,005 --> 00:18:10,525 This is the most extraordinary piece of...
bedrock that becomes the house. 301 00:18:10,605 --> 00:18:15,245 We could have pushed the house
three or four meters away from this 302 00:18:15,325 --> 00:18:18,765 and have the concrete wall here,
for instance. 303 00:18:18,845 --> 00:18:20,965 And I think, probably, 304 00:18:21,085 --> 00:18:24,565 you would have a lot
of the same qualities, but not all. 305 00:18:24,645 --> 00:18:28,085 We tried to make all our buildings 306 00:18:29,125 --> 00:18:32,125 in a way that they could not be repeated. 307 00:18:32,205 --> 00:18:35,245 It's more like a painting, an original, 308 00:18:35,405 --> 00:18:37,765 than something that you can duplicate. 309 00:18:39,845 --> 00:18:42,565 [Piers] Allowing the cliff face to flow
into the living room 310 00:18:42,645 --> 00:18:46,565 meant cutting a perfectly straight channel
before making wooden templates 311 00:18:46,645 --> 00:18:48,645 and individual glass panels to fit 312 00:18:48,805 --> 00:18:53,165 so that all you can see
is either glass or rock and no frame. 313 00:18:56,125 --> 00:19:00,565 Fairly basic materials, like plywood,
are all on display with steel and glass. 314 00:19:00,645 --> 00:19:03,525 Even the staircase is
cold exposed mild steel, 315 00:19:03,925 --> 00:19:06,285 but with a leather binding
that adds warmth. 316 00:19:06,645 --> 00:19:09,965 I think it’s beautiful
that you have, like, individual steps. 317 00:19:10,045 --> 00:19:11,645 All of them are different. 318 00:19:11,725 --> 00:19:15,485 I think it gives
the architecture a richness 319 00:19:15,565 --> 00:19:18,925 that you cannot get
when you conceal everything. 320 00:19:22,485 --> 00:19:26,045 [Caroline] The entire experience
of this house is a revelation. 321 00:19:26,805 --> 00:19:28,645 Even usually mundane spaces, 322 00:19:28,725 --> 00:19:32,205 like the kitchen,
are adventurous and dramatic. 323 00:19:33,525 --> 00:19:36,885 I can imagine myself having dinner here
with the family. 324 00:19:38,245 --> 00:19:40,085 It's a brilliant inset of slate here 325 00:19:40,165 --> 00:19:43,965 to put your hotpot on,
your casserole, your coq-au-vin. 326 00:19:44,045 --> 00:19:45,365 And I love this. 327 00:19:45,445 --> 00:19:48,845 And all it is is a series of LEDs 328 00:19:49,445 --> 00:19:53,085 into a steel and wooden frame. 329 00:19:53,245 --> 00:19:55,725 And it's truly beautiful. 330 00:19:59,925 --> 00:20:02,925 [Piers] Much of this building's vitality
is in the materials, 331 00:20:03,005 --> 00:20:04,685 whether refined or raw. 332 00:20:05,645 --> 00:20:09,885 Like the thousands of split shingles,
which add to the tree-house feel 333 00:20:10,045 --> 00:20:13,005 and connect you directly
to the forest outside. 334 00:20:14,325 --> 00:20:17,805 [Piers] And you’ve used
cedar shingles on the outside? 335 00:20:17,885 --> 00:20:20,605 It’s the core of the pine tree, 336 00:20:20,685 --> 00:20:24,965 and it keeps for a long time, much longer
than the outer part of the wood, 337 00:20:26,085 --> 00:20:29,245 and it's cut by an axe. 338 00:20:29,325 --> 00:20:32,045 That’s why it's kind of rugged, 339 00:20:32,485 --> 00:20:37,285 and the reason is that it will keep
for a much longer time 340 00:20:37,365 --> 00:20:39,285 because you don’t cut the fibers. 341 00:20:39,365 --> 00:20:43,005 This is a super old tradition
in Norway, and it’s, 342 00:20:43,085 --> 00:20:45,205 actually, the Viking’s did the same thing. 343 00:20:45,605 --> 00:20:47,365 [Caroline] It’s in the bedroom pods 344 00:20:47,445 --> 00:20:51,405 where you really feel the sensation
of living in the tree canopy, 345 00:20:51,485 --> 00:20:52,965 and with no curtains, 346 00:20:53,045 --> 00:20:57,285 one could easily spot the Vikings
coming up the fjord in their longboats. 347 00:20:57,925 --> 00:21:00,005 Not so much a bedroom, more a nest. 348 00:21:01,325 --> 00:21:03,685 Look at my nest in the trees. 349 00:21:05,365 --> 00:21:07,085 I could be a little bird in here. 350 00:21:09,645 --> 00:21:11,845 [window slides open] 351 00:21:13,925 --> 00:21:15,205 Just the peace. 352 00:21:19,365 --> 00:21:22,565 I don't really think you could ask
for much more from a bedroom 353 00:21:22,645 --> 00:21:24,485 and be in your own little nest, 354 00:21:24,605 --> 00:21:27,285 little aerie, top of a pine tree. 355 00:21:31,365 --> 00:21:36,165 [Piers] This close relationship to nature
was an essential aspect to Jan’s design, 356 00:21:36,325 --> 00:21:38,965 who resisted suggestions
to dynamite the bedrock 357 00:21:39,045 --> 00:21:41,005 to make the construction simpler. 358 00:21:42,565 --> 00:21:44,845 If you took this building away, 359 00:21:45,645 --> 00:21:48,125 in five years, ten years, fifty years... 360 00:21:49,245 --> 00:21:50,685 what would the site be like? 361 00:21:51,325 --> 00:21:52,685 Almost as it was. 362 00:21:52,765 --> 00:21:59,565 I think, for us, it’s a great ideal to do
something and then you can reverse it, 363 00:21:59,725 --> 00:22:02,045 just like you pitch a tent in the forest. 364 00:22:03,085 --> 00:22:05,205 That’s the way we think
about architecture. 365 00:22:10,725 --> 00:22:13,245 [Piers]
Summer House is a really elemental home. 366 00:22:15,245 --> 00:22:18,005 The site is very natural and untamed. 367 00:22:19,925 --> 00:22:22,205 The architect has used basic materials 368 00:22:22,285 --> 00:22:25,885 including glass,
concrete, and steel, very delicately 369 00:22:25,965 --> 00:22:28,605 and in a way that redefines
what a house can be. 370 00:22:30,605 --> 00:22:32,205 It's saying a lot this house, 371 00:22:32,285 --> 00:22:35,605 but what does this house say
about Norwegian architecture? 372 00:22:35,685 --> 00:22:40,165 It says that you don't always have to hark
back to an idea about the past 373 00:22:40,245 --> 00:22:41,365 and a vernacular. 374 00:22:41,445 --> 00:22:44,685 It says you can just respond
to the actual fabric of the geography 375 00:22:44,845 --> 00:22:49,845 and there you have a truly Norwegian house
because it couldn’t be anywhere else. 376 00:23:00,365 --> 00:23:03,405 [Piers] From a home born
of the Norwegian natural landscape 377 00:23:03,645 --> 00:23:08,205 to one that strays furthest
from many Norwegian norms and traditions. 378 00:23:09,805 --> 00:23:11,885 [Caroline] Next we’re going to Ottestad; 379 00:23:12,885 --> 00:23:16,085 a picturesque,
charming lakeside community. 380 00:23:17,645 --> 00:23:20,445 [Piers] And with such typically
Norwegian surroundings, 381 00:23:20,525 --> 00:23:23,765 we could only arrive
in the traditional way. 382 00:23:23,845 --> 00:23:27,365 I have never done
Nordic pole walking before. 383 00:23:27,445 --> 00:23:29,725 You couldn’t tell.
You handled it beautifully. 384 00:23:31,405 --> 00:23:33,605 This is the biggest lake in Norway, Piers. 385 00:23:34,285 --> 00:23:38,005 It’s quite extraordinarily beautiful
and yet somehow really quite suburban. 386 00:23:40,565 --> 00:23:44,365 [C] These elegant homes are exactly
what we would expect to find in Norway. 387 00:23:44,965 --> 00:23:48,645 But we're here to visit a family
who dared to be different. 388 00:23:49,285 --> 00:23:52,805 [Caroline] Not at all what I was expecting
in this environment. 389 00:23:57,285 --> 00:24:02,005 [Piers] Solid and resolute, Concrete House
stands proudly over the lake 390 00:24:02,125 --> 00:24:05,365 with its facade
of seemingly random openings 391 00:24:05,445 --> 00:24:09,485 sitting defiantly in cold grey concrete
among its neighbors. 392 00:24:09,965 --> 00:24:12,645 [Piers] Okay, what's the first adjective
that springs to mind? 393 00:24:12,765 --> 00:24:13,605 [Caroline] Harsh. 394 00:24:14,405 --> 00:24:15,845 [Piers] 'Cause I think quirky. 395 00:24:15,925 --> 00:24:17,445 [Caroline] Quirky, okay. 396 00:24:18,645 --> 00:24:21,285 Hospital is another word
that springs to mind. 397 00:24:21,405 --> 00:24:23,445 -Quirky hospital.
-Brutal hospital. 398 00:24:24,045 --> 00:24:25,085 [door clicks open] 399 00:24:27,925 --> 00:24:31,405 [Caroline] Oh! This is lovely in here. 400 00:24:32,365 --> 00:24:33,805 I’m really surprised 401 00:24:33,885 --> 00:24:36,685 because it wasn’t love
at first sight for me at all. 402 00:24:39,885 --> 00:24:43,925 From outside, I couldn’t understand
what was going on in here. 403 00:24:44,365 --> 00:24:45,445 [Piers] But it makes sense, 404 00:24:46,165 --> 00:24:47,125 and it's beautiful. 405 00:24:54,605 --> 00:24:56,605 [Caroline] It's quite church-like in here. 406 00:24:56,685 --> 00:24:59,645 I’m surprised because the dimensions
and the proportions 407 00:24:59,725 --> 00:25:02,485 -are normal domestic proportions.
-Yeah, except for height. 408 00:25:02,565 --> 00:25:06,645 Maybe it’s that. It's a sort of,
yeah, cathedral-like quality. 409 00:25:12,845 --> 00:25:15,605 It’s very peaceful... isn’t it? 410 00:25:16,485 --> 00:25:17,845 So quiet. 411 00:25:18,405 --> 00:25:22,405 There’s something about the masonry,
the heaviness of this concrete, 412 00:25:22,645 --> 00:25:25,285 that gives you a sense of that silence. 413 00:25:26,005 --> 00:25:28,365 [Caroline]
I love the turn of those stairs. 414 00:25:28,445 --> 00:25:31,525 They make me want to quietly go upstairs
and explore upstairs. 415 00:25:41,285 --> 00:25:43,325 [Piers]
You’d never guess from the outside, 416 00:25:43,405 --> 00:25:47,285 but internally
the house has a simple three-story layout. 417 00:25:47,725 --> 00:25:52,005 Dug into the sloping site,
the ground floor is a large guest suite 418 00:25:52,205 --> 00:25:54,605 with an enclosed terrace and storage. 419 00:25:55,605 --> 00:25:58,885 The main family spaces
are raised up on the first floor 420 00:25:58,965 --> 00:26:03,365 with an open plan kitchen, dining, living
room, and library that face the lake. 421 00:26:04,685 --> 00:26:08,605 There’s also a TV room,
a family wardrobe, and a garage. 422 00:26:10,445 --> 00:26:12,645 Above, along with a laundry room, 423 00:26:12,725 --> 00:26:15,925 are three bedrooms
organized around an open landing 424 00:26:16,005 --> 00:26:20,485 that looks down onto the living spaces
below and to the lake outside. 425 00:26:22,045 --> 00:26:25,685 This has actually made
my heart beat a little faster, 426 00:26:25,765 --> 00:26:28,365 because we’re
not just double height here. 427 00:26:29,005 --> 00:26:31,205 It’s a very, very long distance 428 00:26:31,285 --> 00:26:34,285 between this balcony 429 00:26:34,405 --> 00:26:37,205 and then the drop into the atrium
to the kitchen, down the stairs, 430 00:26:37,285 --> 00:26:40,365 and then there’s another floor
I can see downstairs, 431 00:26:40,445 --> 00:26:43,925 and it is quite exciting actually. 432 00:26:44,005 --> 00:26:46,045 And I’ve just seen 433 00:26:46,725 --> 00:26:50,125 what I think is going to be
my favorite window in the whole house. 434 00:26:50,645 --> 00:26:55,285 And in it, I’ve just got
a perfect golden section of land, 435 00:26:56,405 --> 00:26:58,805 boats, little bit of sky, 436 00:26:59,605 --> 00:27:01,525 and then that wonderful lake. 437 00:27:02,565 --> 00:27:05,165 I think I’ve found
my favorite place in the house. 438 00:27:05,645 --> 00:27:09,965 [P] But the windows here do so much more
than just selectively framing views. 439 00:27:11,925 --> 00:27:13,245 [door clicks shut] 440 00:27:14,165 --> 00:27:16,645 Often you might think
a window is just a window, 441 00:27:16,725 --> 00:27:19,485 you stick it in the middle of the wall
and you’re done. 442 00:27:19,565 --> 00:27:21,805 But here there’s
a really eccentric window, 443 00:27:21,885 --> 00:27:26,365 which is just about bringing
a very diffused light into the bedroom. 444 00:27:26,445 --> 00:27:29,125 It allows you,
when you’re in bed, to see the sky. 445 00:27:29,525 --> 00:27:31,365 There’s a ventilation panel. 446 00:27:31,445 --> 00:27:33,645 There’s a view down
to where the boats are. 447 00:27:34,965 --> 00:27:37,045 And then there’s a view, a composed view, 448 00:27:37,125 --> 00:27:40,085 a beautiful picture
of the headland opposite. 449 00:27:40,165 --> 00:27:41,965 And then, of course,
when you’re lying in bed, 450 00:27:42,045 --> 00:27:43,445 there’s this south-facing window, 451 00:27:43,565 --> 00:27:46,405 which is the solar gain you get
to heat the room up. 452 00:27:47,045 --> 00:27:50,925 It's a perfect study
in how to make a series of openings 453 00:27:51,005 --> 00:27:52,805 that bring a room to life. 454 00:27:57,125 --> 00:27:59,125 [Piers]
There’s very little color used here. 455 00:27:59,205 --> 00:28:01,845 Like a gallery,
walls are predominantly white, 456 00:28:02,165 --> 00:28:05,085 but whether it’s the main living spaces
or just a bathroom, 457 00:28:05,165 --> 00:28:06,845 there’s never a lack of interest. 458 00:28:08,245 --> 00:28:09,925 You shower under the light. 459 00:28:10,325 --> 00:28:12,245 You bathe in the view. 460 00:28:13,045 --> 00:28:17,085 But also, it’s a very textured room,
which I hadn’t expected. 461 00:28:17,645 --> 00:28:19,365 No color, all texture. 462 00:28:20,485 --> 00:28:23,285 On one hand,
this is a white painted concrete box 463 00:28:23,845 --> 00:28:26,045 but it’s also full of joy and delight. 464 00:28:28,565 --> 00:28:29,405 Piers? 465 00:28:30,605 --> 00:28:31,525 Hi, Caroline. 466 00:28:31,685 --> 00:28:32,965 What have you discovered? 467 00:28:33,405 --> 00:28:35,205 I’ve got bedrooms up here. 468 00:28:35,365 --> 00:28:38,805 I’ve got a little chap's bedroom
and a little girl’s bedroom. 469 00:28:39,445 --> 00:28:40,405 What have you got? 470 00:28:40,485 --> 00:28:44,205 I’ve just been enjoying the multiple ways
you can get around this building. 471 00:28:44,285 --> 00:28:46,805 You don’t need
all these staircases, but they’re great. 472 00:28:46,885 --> 00:28:51,645 I love the theater of them popping out
and, you know, being able to say, "Hello!" 473 00:28:51,725 --> 00:28:55,045 Is it more fun
than you thought it was going to be? 474 00:28:55,125 --> 00:28:56,445 Yeah, much more fun. 475 00:28:57,765 --> 00:28:58,925 [Piers] In a place like this, 476 00:28:59,005 --> 00:29:02,925 it’s obvious that the main living spaces
should face the view and the light, 477 00:29:03,485 --> 00:29:06,605 making the spaces at the back
harder to resolve. 478 00:29:06,885 --> 00:29:08,325 [Caroline gasps in delight] 479 00:29:08,485 --> 00:29:12,925 [laughs in delight] 480 00:29:13,365 --> 00:29:16,165 [Piers] I never knew a simple TV room
could be so pleasing. 481 00:29:16,645 --> 00:29:17,925 This is so cool. 482 00:29:18,445 --> 00:29:22,565 Just when I was being fooled into thinking
this is a sort of quite domestic, 483 00:29:23,325 --> 00:29:27,645 quite, you know, homely,
in a way, sort of, ordinary home. 484 00:29:27,805 --> 00:29:30,205 You suddenly got
a little telly room like this. 485 00:29:30,285 --> 00:29:31,285 Tucked away. 486 00:29:31,365 --> 00:29:35,245 -And it's comfy. It's so comfy.
-Yeah. 487 00:29:35,405 --> 00:29:36,725 But there’s carpet, of course, 488 00:29:36,805 --> 00:29:39,805 which wraps up and makes
somewhere comfortable to sit on. 489 00:29:39,885 --> 00:29:42,165 Also, it's there
because it’s good acoustically. 490 00:29:42,245 --> 00:29:43,085 Deadens the sound. 491 00:29:43,165 --> 00:29:45,885 And there's obviously some acoustic thing
happening with the ceiling. 492 00:29:46,045 --> 00:29:48,285 But I like the way the telly doesn't
dominate the house. 493 00:29:48,365 --> 00:29:51,005 -You just go into a glorified cupboard.
-Yeah. 494 00:29:51,085 --> 00:29:53,205 Covered in carpet, to go and watch telly. 495 00:29:53,285 --> 00:29:54,325 Yeah. 496 00:29:54,485 --> 00:29:59,965 [P] This hard exterior hides an interior
that is human, relaxed, and informal. 497 00:30:01,045 --> 00:30:02,685 But back in 2005, 498 00:30:02,765 --> 00:30:05,885 all that was here was
a dilapidated house for sale. 499 00:30:07,045 --> 00:30:11,445 For Tom Olav and his wife Erder,
this was the opportunity of a lifetime; 500 00:30:11,885 --> 00:30:13,685 to be able to live by the lake. 501 00:30:14,245 --> 00:30:17,685 But their new house would not only dwarf
what was there originally, 502 00:30:17,765 --> 00:30:19,965 it would also raise a few eyebrows. 503 00:30:20,805 --> 00:30:23,645 [Piers] This is a house that is not
like its neighbors 504 00:30:23,725 --> 00:30:28,685 and totally unlike traditional
Norwegian suburban architecture. 505 00:30:28,965 --> 00:30:29,925 Mm. 506 00:30:30,005 --> 00:30:32,085 What do your neighbors
think of this house? 507 00:30:32,165 --> 00:30:36,165 Well, I guess some of them, they like it,
and some don’t. 508 00:30:36,325 --> 00:30:37,845 The worst thing we have heard 509 00:30:37,925 --> 00:30:42,005 is maybe that someone asked,
"Well, what is this? Is it a prison?" 510 00:30:42,605 --> 00:30:46,565 So the people are not so used to concrete
I guess. 511 00:30:46,925 --> 00:30:48,965 We have always liked concrete. 512 00:30:49,485 --> 00:30:52,725 The architect, he said
we could use some bricks, you know. 513 00:30:52,885 --> 00:30:55,085 We like concrete better. 514 00:30:55,765 --> 00:31:02,205 There’s been quite a journey to a place,
which is an extraordinary modern building. 515 00:31:02,765 --> 00:31:05,085 Where did that journey begin
in your own mind? 516 00:31:05,165 --> 00:31:06,725 When I was a small boy, 517 00:31:06,805 --> 00:31:11,725 I always interested in minimalistic houses 518 00:31:11,805 --> 00:31:13,645 and minimalistic design. 519 00:31:14,405 --> 00:31:15,885 So, this is my dream. 520 00:31:17,805 --> 00:31:22,525 [C] The architect entrusted to deliver
that dream was Carl-Viggo Holmebakk, 521 00:31:22,605 --> 00:31:25,925 who was clearly not afraid
to challenge convention. 522 00:31:27,485 --> 00:31:30,205 When I first approached
the house this morning, 523 00:31:30,485 --> 00:31:35,165 I was surprised
at how austere it was, how almost... 524 00:31:36,525 --> 00:31:37,885 uninviting. 525 00:31:38,165 --> 00:31:42,445 I think the exterior of the house
has a sculptural quality to it, 526 00:31:42,525 --> 00:31:46,605 and we worked a lot
to almost try to erase 527 00:31:46,685 --> 00:31:51,525 the traditional image of a building,
of stories, 528 00:31:51,605 --> 00:31:54,845 -all the windows floating in the facade.
-Yes. 529 00:31:54,925 --> 00:31:57,205 It does something, also, with the scale 530 00:31:57,285 --> 00:31:59,365 because you can’t understand
how many floors it is. 531 00:31:59,445 --> 00:32:01,645 We are used to saying,
"Well, that must be a bathroom 532 00:32:01,725 --> 00:32:04,125 because it’s a small window.
That must be a bedroom." 533 00:32:04,205 --> 00:32:10,365 But this house plays with your sense of
space and scale all the time, doesn’t it? 534 00:32:10,445 --> 00:32:12,605 From outside. It’s quite, 535 00:32:12,685 --> 00:32:14,005 It's disconcerting. 536 00:32:14,165 --> 00:32:18,285 You know,
we built a platform here at the site 537 00:32:18,445 --> 00:32:21,645 before we started to draw; 538 00:32:21,725 --> 00:32:24,765 and then this idea started to come 539 00:32:24,845 --> 00:32:27,005 that maybe it would be
even more interesting 540 00:32:27,085 --> 00:32:30,725 to... mask out some different views, 541 00:32:30,805 --> 00:32:32,885 not to have everything all the time. 542 00:32:33,405 --> 00:32:36,085 So, when you are inside the house, 543 00:32:36,925 --> 00:32:40,645 each opening is really
very well thought about. 544 00:32:41,285 --> 00:32:45,285 It’s not just a random composition
of funny windows. 545 00:32:49,605 --> 00:32:52,645 What do you think your favorite place
in this house is? 546 00:32:52,725 --> 00:32:54,685 What I love most about the house,
I guess, 547 00:32:54,765 --> 00:32:56,605 is the ability to look at the nature 548 00:32:56,725 --> 00:32:59,365 and also watch
the different season change. 549 00:33:00,125 --> 00:33:03,045 This kind of big window
were supposed to be like paintings. 550 00:33:03,125 --> 00:33:04,925 New picture on every wall. 551 00:33:05,005 --> 00:33:06,405 Kind of like art. 552 00:33:07,845 --> 00:33:10,645 [Caroline]
Concrete House is a home and a gallery, 553 00:33:10,765 --> 00:33:14,485 where the architect has curated
some of nature’s finest work. 554 00:33:14,565 --> 00:33:16,525 Spending the day here, it’s easy to see 555 00:33:16,605 --> 00:33:20,725 how living amongst these masterpieces
is an endless joy. 556 00:33:21,325 --> 00:33:24,925 But then this house is
a bit of a masterpiece in itself. 557 00:33:35,605 --> 00:33:37,245 For our final house, 558 00:33:37,445 --> 00:33:40,285 we’re heading
for the wild western coast, 559 00:33:40,365 --> 00:33:43,765 to Fosnavag,
a region renowned for outdoor living 560 00:33:43,845 --> 00:33:45,885 and, of course, fjords. 561 00:33:47,325 --> 00:33:50,805 [Piers] And it’s here
that we’ve arranged to meet owner, Peter. 562 00:33:50,885 --> 00:33:54,365 He’s giving us a lift,
as the house is only accessible by boat. 563 00:33:55,605 --> 00:33:57,365 [Caroline] It’s there! Ha ha! 564 00:33:58,365 --> 00:33:59,845 It’s very mysterious, Peter. 565 00:33:59,925 --> 00:34:02,645 It’s very closed off.
It’s like it’s got its eyes shut. 566 00:34:02,725 --> 00:34:03,805 Not welcoming at all. 567 00:34:05,125 --> 00:34:08,885 [Piers] Our destination for the night
is a home on its own island, 568 00:34:08,965 --> 00:34:11,885 designed as
the ultimate weatherproof bolthole. 569 00:34:19,005 --> 00:34:21,245 -So here, Caroline, the keys.
-Thank you very much. 570 00:34:21,325 --> 00:34:23,005 Anything we need to know
about the house? 571 00:34:23,085 --> 00:34:25,285 -It opens up.
-Open it up, okay. 572 00:34:25,365 --> 00:34:28,005 And maybe the fact
that the last house that was here 573 00:34:28,085 --> 00:34:29,645 blew away in a storm at night. 574 00:34:29,725 --> 00:34:31,365 The last house that was here blew away? 575 00:34:31,845 --> 00:34:33,125 Bye-bye. Enjoy. 576 00:34:34,325 --> 00:34:37,845 Weather's looking a bit peaky as well,
isn’t it? Some clouds coming in. 577 00:34:37,925 --> 00:34:40,365 [Caroline] Storm clouds are gathering. 578 00:34:40,445 --> 00:34:43,605 [Piers] I think this looks like
a pretty robust house through, Caroline. 579 00:34:43,685 --> 00:34:45,325 Even if there's a storm coming. 580 00:34:45,765 --> 00:34:48,765 You don’t have any idea
how we’re meant to actually open it up? 581 00:34:48,845 --> 00:34:51,045 [Piers]
Well, this is a front door, I think. 582 00:34:55,565 --> 00:34:58,885 This one's not gonna get blown away
in a storm. It’s really heavy. 583 00:34:58,965 --> 00:35:01,565 This gives battening down the hatches... 584 00:35:02,725 --> 00:35:04,525 a new level of meaning, doesn’t it? 585 00:35:05,125 --> 00:35:06,765 I thought this was gonna be a window, 586 00:35:06,845 --> 00:35:09,085 but it's actually
you go straight into the house. 587 00:35:09,245 --> 00:35:11,525 [Caroline]
It's extraordinary so far, isn't it? 588 00:35:12,965 --> 00:35:17,125 The owners wanted to be able to use
their holiday home all year around. 589 00:35:17,205 --> 00:35:19,605 So it needed to cope
with extreme weather. 590 00:35:21,005 --> 00:35:22,965 The architect designed a building 591 00:35:23,045 --> 00:35:25,925 that totally transforms
as soon as it's opened up. 592 00:35:27,045 --> 00:35:28,925 You’ve got to be happy with this. 593 00:35:29,685 --> 00:35:31,925 This is one of the best entrances
to a house. 594 00:35:32,005 --> 00:35:34,045 I don’t know if it's
'cause of where we come from, 595 00:35:34,125 --> 00:35:37,805 but we are trained to going up
a small path and opening a front door, 596 00:35:37,885 --> 00:35:39,565 and this couldn’t be more different. 597 00:35:39,725 --> 00:35:43,085 And yet, somehow,
it couldn’t be more Norwegian. 598 00:35:43,485 --> 00:35:46,005 It’s so rugged. It’s so strong. 599 00:35:46,685 --> 00:35:49,525 [Piers]
The architects faced two challenges. 600 00:35:49,605 --> 00:35:51,645 Not only did the house
have to sit directly 601 00:35:51,725 --> 00:35:55,005 on the existing footprint
of the boathouse that blew away, 602 00:35:55,085 --> 00:35:58,965 it also had to pack in everything
an inaccessible house would need. 603 00:36:00,485 --> 00:36:04,445 They designed a three-story packing case
of steel, glass, and timber. 604 00:36:05,525 --> 00:36:07,525 The form is straightforward. 605 00:36:07,605 --> 00:36:11,165 On the ground floor is an open-plan
kitchen, dining, and living room. 606 00:36:11,845 --> 00:36:14,925 Above, divided
by two floating staircases, 607 00:36:15,005 --> 00:36:17,205 are the bedrooms for family and guests. 608 00:36:17,845 --> 00:36:20,645 And on top, an open-plan attic space. 609 00:36:21,325 --> 00:36:24,005 The remarkable part, besides its position, 610 00:36:24,085 --> 00:36:28,005 is the heavy-duty outer shell
protecting the whole structure 611 00:36:28,085 --> 00:36:32,565 with 17 timber shutters that can be opened
and closed depending on the weather. 612 00:36:35,765 --> 00:36:38,205 There’s nothing lightweight
about this place, is there? 613 00:36:38,285 --> 00:36:39,445 Nothing at all. 614 00:36:39,525 --> 00:36:43,725 It’s really beefy, every aspect of it.
Everything weighs a lot. 615 00:36:43,805 --> 00:36:46,645 Everything’s heavy
and extremely well made. 616 00:36:47,845 --> 00:36:49,525 More things to move and adjust. 617 00:36:49,605 --> 00:36:50,885 It’s the sound as well. 618 00:36:50,965 --> 00:36:53,325 I like the noise of all the metal,
the doors. 619 00:36:53,405 --> 00:36:56,485 Yeah. It’s very tactile, isn't it? 620 00:36:56,565 --> 00:36:59,885 Completely. Every sense is
completely assaulted as you come in. 621 00:36:59,965 --> 00:37:00,885 It’s fantastic. 622 00:37:07,965 --> 00:37:13,885 [C] The robust shell is in stark contrast
to the soft honey-hued interior. 623 00:37:16,125 --> 00:37:17,645 It's breathtaking. 624 00:37:21,165 --> 00:37:24,645 The minute you come inside, you feel safe,
you’re out of the elements, 625 00:37:24,725 --> 00:37:26,845 and this is a good space, isn’t it? 626 00:37:26,925 --> 00:37:29,805 It's quite a modest space
at the same time. It isn't huge. 627 00:37:29,965 --> 00:37:33,125 and it's interesting how this staircase
structures this space. 628 00:37:33,205 --> 00:37:36,285 So this is the device
by which these areas are zoned. 629 00:37:36,365 --> 00:37:39,805 [Caroline] This staircase is
sort of magically floating in the air, 630 00:37:39,885 --> 00:37:42,605 and I don’t imagine that’s
just because it looks great. 631 00:37:42,685 --> 00:37:46,925 I think it’s also because, presumably,
this concrete floor could take 632 00:37:47,005 --> 00:37:51,245 a huge amount of water washing in
and no harm would come to this. 633 00:37:51,325 --> 00:37:53,805 You’re totally right.
It's really practical. 634 00:37:55,045 --> 00:37:57,525 This is a bit like being on a boat though,
isn't it? 635 00:37:57,605 --> 00:38:00,765 I feel a little bit like
I’m on this fantastic ferry, 636 00:38:00,845 --> 00:38:02,525 you know, sailing out to sea. 637 00:38:02,965 --> 00:38:05,245 [Caroline]
Yes, it is, it’s like being on board ship. 638 00:38:05,325 --> 00:38:08,285 And all the colors are so subtle. 639 00:38:08,365 --> 00:38:10,805 This kind of pinkish beautiful leather. 640 00:38:10,885 --> 00:38:14,805 I like the fact that the warehouse
roughness can coexist with this… 641 00:38:14,885 --> 00:38:16,005 -Luxury?
-Yeah. 642 00:38:16,085 --> 00:38:18,765 You know, a luxurious item in the room, 643 00:38:18,845 --> 00:38:22,125 it brings a whole new feel to the place,
doesn't it? 644 00:38:22,205 --> 00:38:24,605 [Piers]
And it's not just the odd single item. 645 00:38:24,685 --> 00:38:26,245 Every element of this house, 646 00:38:26,325 --> 00:38:29,885 both large and small,
has been meticulously considered. 647 00:38:30,085 --> 00:38:33,765 Many people think that design
is really going shopping for things, 648 00:38:33,845 --> 00:38:35,925 standard things,
kitchens, bathrooms, 649 00:38:36,085 --> 00:38:38,805 windows, doors, all of those things 650 00:38:38,885 --> 00:38:40,925 and just arranging them into a building. 651 00:38:41,085 --> 00:38:43,285 In this house, everything is
so beautifully made 652 00:38:43,365 --> 00:38:44,805 and everything is bespoke. 653 00:38:44,965 --> 00:38:47,045 Even things like the shower screen. 654 00:38:47,125 --> 00:38:51,565 This is a purpose-made shower screen
that also doubles up as a light. 655 00:38:51,645 --> 00:38:53,325 And things like the doors. 656 00:38:53,485 --> 00:38:59,045 The doors are beautifully-made
sheets of plywood, laminated together. 657 00:38:59,125 --> 00:39:01,285 And things like the door catch 658 00:39:01,365 --> 00:39:03,685 is this lovely piece of leather 659 00:39:03,765 --> 00:39:06,685 that takes this little
stainless-steel fitting at the end of it. 660 00:39:06,765 --> 00:39:10,045 And that’s the door locked.
It’s beautiful. Beautiful. 661 00:39:12,005 --> 00:39:14,245 Time to choose my bedroom. 662 00:39:15,525 --> 00:39:18,045 I think I’m gonna go in. Yeah, this one. 663 00:39:21,365 --> 00:39:23,805 And I’d like to be able to see the sea. 664 00:39:25,805 --> 00:39:27,045 How does this work? 665 00:39:27,125 --> 00:39:28,285 [shutter creaks open] 666 00:39:29,285 --> 00:39:30,725 Sounds like a ship, doesn’t it? 667 00:39:41,285 --> 00:39:43,365 [Caroline]
From the bedrooms to the attic space, 668 00:39:43,445 --> 00:39:45,925 everything is so substantial, 669 00:39:46,005 --> 00:39:46,965 yet cosy. 670 00:39:47,045 --> 00:39:49,325 It almost makes
the idea of sleeping on a rock 671 00:39:49,445 --> 00:39:52,405 in the middle of the sea seem sensible. 672 00:39:52,805 --> 00:39:53,925 [cork popping] 673 00:39:54,005 --> 00:39:55,045 That's for me. 674 00:39:55,125 --> 00:39:57,005 -[Piers] Want some glasses?
-Yes, please. 675 00:39:57,085 --> 00:39:58,005 [Piers] Big ones? 676 00:39:58,085 --> 00:40:00,085 [Caroline]
Yeah, I think I will. Thank you. 677 00:40:00,885 --> 00:40:03,045 You know, all this stuff,
you could just bolt together 678 00:40:03,125 --> 00:40:07,045 from stuff you could buy
in your hardware store in Devon. 679 00:40:07,125 --> 00:40:11,125 This house isn’t afraid
to take things that anyone can get 680 00:40:11,205 --> 00:40:13,685 and make something
really special out of them. 681 00:40:14,125 --> 00:40:16,565 It knows where to spend its money,
doesn't it? 682 00:40:21,205 --> 00:40:26,005 The mood of this place has altered
since the sunset, hasn't it? 683 00:40:26,725 --> 00:40:29,645 Looking out there, I can see
the twinkling lights of houses 684 00:40:29,725 --> 00:40:30,885 on the mainland, 685 00:40:31,365 --> 00:40:32,685 and still hear the water. 686 00:40:34,165 --> 00:40:37,365 The character of the building
has altered dramatically. 687 00:40:37,925 --> 00:40:39,125 Whereas in most houses, 688 00:40:39,205 --> 00:40:42,405 you'd shut the blinds,
shut the curtains, and that would be it. 689 00:40:42,485 --> 00:40:44,365 You'd carry on as if it was daytime. 690 00:40:44,445 --> 00:40:45,725 Imagine this in midsummer 691 00:40:45,805 --> 00:40:48,285 when there’s only 3 hours of twilight. 692 00:40:48,365 --> 00:40:50,885 What an extraordinary place
that would be to be in. 693 00:40:50,965 --> 00:40:54,565 And equivalently in winter
with just three hours of daylight. 694 00:40:54,645 --> 00:40:57,565 Again, those are the rhythms
that give this place its life. 695 00:40:57,645 --> 00:41:00,245 [Caroline] It feels such a privilege
to be here, isn't it? 696 00:41:02,885 --> 00:41:04,445 And after a good night’s sleep, 697 00:41:04,525 --> 00:41:07,245 I can totally see
the attraction of living on a rock. 698 00:41:08,005 --> 00:41:09,205 You going in? 699 00:41:09,525 --> 00:41:11,205 I'm not sure how crazy this is, 700 00:41:11,365 --> 00:41:13,685 I think I’m just gonna have to go
straight in. 701 00:41:14,085 --> 00:41:15,325 [splash] 702 00:41:16,605 --> 00:41:18,605 [Piers] Woah!
[Caroline laughing] 703 00:41:18,765 --> 00:41:19,725 It's gorgeous. 704 00:41:20,765 --> 00:41:22,645 It’s truly gorgeous. 705 00:41:25,765 --> 00:41:29,525 [C] And if a dip in the chilly waters
of the Norwegian sea doesn’t appeal, 706 00:41:29,645 --> 00:41:31,685 the other pastime here is fishing. 707 00:41:31,765 --> 00:41:33,245 Hi, morning. 708 00:41:33,405 --> 00:41:34,565 While Piers defrosts, 709 00:41:34,645 --> 00:41:38,285 owners Peter and Marianna drop by
to share their catch of the day. 710 00:41:38,365 --> 00:41:39,365 Very good. 711 00:41:40,005 --> 00:41:41,445 Hello, you must be Marianna? 712 00:41:41,525 --> 00:41:42,685 Good morning. Lovely... 713 00:41:42,765 --> 00:41:46,205 [Caroline] The island has belonged to
Peter’s family for generations. 714 00:41:46,285 --> 00:41:48,965 [Peter] It used to be a boathouse
for a fishing boat. 715 00:41:49,725 --> 00:41:51,165 The foundation was here 716 00:41:51,245 --> 00:41:54,285 and eight, nine,
No, nine years ago, I got the idea 717 00:41:54,365 --> 00:41:56,245 maybe we should build something here. 718 00:41:56,325 --> 00:41:58,685 It wasn't built here, was it?
Was it built off site? 719 00:41:58,765 --> 00:42:01,725 Yeah and that was difficult
to find someone to build it, actually. 720 00:42:01,805 --> 00:42:02,765 It was a challenge. 721 00:42:02,845 --> 00:42:06,445 And then after a while,
we finally found a local entrepreneur 722 00:42:06,525 --> 00:42:08,165 that said, "I'll take the challenge." 723 00:42:10,925 --> 00:42:15,125 [C] Building on the tiny island was always
going to be a logistical nightmare. 724 00:42:15,725 --> 00:42:19,485 Concrete to strengthen the foundations
had to be airlifted in. 725 00:42:20,405 --> 00:42:24,325 [Piers] Meanwhile the entire house
was being constructed in the shipyard 726 00:42:24,405 --> 00:42:26,805 on the mainland
a few miles down the coast. 727 00:42:26,885 --> 00:42:30,525 Then came the difficulty
of getting the house to the island. 728 00:42:31,005 --> 00:42:34,005 We used a offshore vessel,
crane to lift it. 729 00:42:34,205 --> 00:42:36,645 -So, they they lifted it by crane?
-Yeah. 730 00:42:36,725 --> 00:42:38,525 -Onto a barge.
-Onto a barge, okay. 731 00:42:38,605 --> 00:42:40,245 And then it was tugged out here. 732 00:42:41,125 --> 00:42:43,205 -That must have been so exciting.
-It was. 733 00:42:45,085 --> 00:42:46,685 [Caroline] Weather here is unpredictable, 734 00:42:47,325 --> 00:42:51,925 and the team had to wait six weeks
for a day calm enough to make their move. 735 00:42:52,045 --> 00:42:53,605 Were you nervous that it could go wrong? 736 00:42:53,885 --> 00:42:57,365 I’m sure some of the people
were nervous, yeah. 737 00:42:57,445 --> 00:43:00,205 The architect, actually, he wasn't here. 738 00:43:00,285 --> 00:43:04,645 He couldn't bear to look at it.
He was nervous that things would go wrong. 739 00:43:11,845 --> 00:43:16,085 [C] As they lowered the 70 tons of house
onto its foundations, 740 00:43:16,165 --> 00:43:17,525 the weather broke. 741 00:43:19,565 --> 00:43:23,365 The workers had to weld it in place
during a storm. 742 00:43:23,445 --> 00:43:26,125 It wouldn’t be the last time
the house had to contend with 743 00:43:26,205 --> 00:43:28,005 the worst of Norway’s weather. 744 00:43:29,165 --> 00:43:31,325 We spent last Christmas here. 745 00:43:31,405 --> 00:43:34,525 It was our first Christmas on the island. 746 00:43:34,605 --> 00:43:37,445 We had a storm. It was amazing to be here. 747 00:43:37,925 --> 00:43:40,365 Not being able to go ashore 748 00:43:40,445 --> 00:43:43,125 because the sea was too rough,
and the boat was… 749 00:43:43,605 --> 00:43:45,165 Yes, we lost one boat actually. 750 00:43:45,245 --> 00:43:48,005 -[Caroline] You lost a boat?
-[Peter] Yes, small boat went down. 751 00:43:48,085 --> 00:43:50,645 -[C] It was a serious storm?
-[Peter] It was a hurricane strength. 752 00:43:50,725 --> 00:43:52,605 [C] I’m glad you've tested it
at full strength. 753 00:43:52,685 --> 00:43:55,085 It's a fortress really here, isn't it? 754 00:43:55,165 --> 00:43:57,485 I mean it really has
the feeling of a fortress. 755 00:43:57,565 --> 00:44:01,845 You feel, it can take anything
that the weather throws at it. 756 00:44:06,525 --> 00:44:09,365 I shall be sad
to say goodbye to this house. 757 00:44:09,445 --> 00:44:12,885 It’s just a joy from beginning to end. 758 00:44:12,965 --> 00:44:17,245 I think Norway is a really unusual country
in that 759 00:44:17,405 --> 00:44:22,885 landscape, weather, climate,
culture, geography, geology 760 00:44:22,965 --> 00:44:26,645 is under all of their skin all of the time
in everything they do. 761 00:44:26,725 --> 00:44:29,685 And that’s so evident
in all of the buildings. 762 00:44:29,765 --> 00:44:32,605 [Caroline] We’ve seen the evolution 763 00:44:33,085 --> 00:44:36,125 of that wonderful little Norwegian cottage 764 00:44:36,485 --> 00:44:39,725 into some of the most
extraordinary buildings 765 00:44:39,845 --> 00:44:42,085 that just like the Norwegians themselves, 766 00:44:42,165 --> 00:44:46,205 not only know how to deal with weather,
but absolutely love it. 767 00:44:47,885 --> 00:44:49,805 Come on, sweetie, let’s do it. 768 00:44:58,325 --> 00:45:00,325 Subtitle translation by Metia Bethell