The new museum building is designed to effectively integrate with the nature and culture of the Skogfinsk. Therefore the building not only rises near the river and in the forest, but the forest enters the project thanks to an internal patio that allows the continuation of the forest atmosphere and guarantees a continuous immersion in total relationship with the Skogfinsk’s naturalness. The interior space is enclosed, protected and welcoming, as their homes, and, always as their homes, has few openings: the entrance and the terrace.

The compact volume facilitates the maintenance of the internal microclimate and, thanks to the different heights of internal functions, a good circulation of air is also guaranteed. An additional connection to the tradition of the Skogfinsk people is visible thanks to the use of wood as ubiquitous material. Raw wood outside to enhance the purity of the geometry and to highlight the recall to their homes. Burnt wood in the only two openings of the building (entrance and terrace), to recall the passage of the Skogfinsk and their typical fertilization technique; in fact, meaning the building as an element of the nature of the place, was burned by the intervention of skogfinsk. Refined and warm wood for the interior, to facilitate the comfort of the visitors.

Functions

The functions are structured around the patio, which is the fulcrum of the project. The museum and the public part on the ground floor are designed to be enjoyed by visitors, employees and people who want to use the bookstore, the café area and auditorium without having to access the museum which, in this way, becomes a public space for the village of Svullrya. The administrative part and archives are located on the first floor.

Each area is characterized by different heights, which allow an optimum exaltation of the functions on the inside. Coming from these areas with cozy heights and entering the surrounding the double-height patio, will provide the feeling of total immersion in the woods that characterize the Skogfinsk constructions, hence the large patio windows and the presence of the local nature inside.

Sustainability

The choice of a single volume guarantees room control and avoids energy waste due to the reduced presence of air conditioning units and plant groups. The double height of the area around the patio, joined to the patio windows of the same floor, produce a natural and passive internal air movement that increases the bioclimatic comfort of the building’s users, and increases its effectiveness in extreme climatic situations.

In addition, the geometry of the roof over the patio was designed to accommodate a sufficient number of photovoltaic panels to allow initial daily activation and rhythm of all building facilities, thus avoiding the typically more expensive energy management operations of a building. Natural lighting comes from the patio windows, which are centrally located, providing lighting as much as possible to the building, while avoiding the climatic changes caused by direct solar irradiation and subsequent shading, containing the waste of energy.

Phases

The two phases of the project will take place within the building itself. The whole structure has been designed to allow an internal expansion to the first floor that will ultimately benefit from the overall construction cost of the work in the long run, and create a fluid and continuous space inside, which will promote cultural exchange and control inside the museum. Being the expansion only possible on the upper floor, it will not affect the quality of the exhibits and the comfort of the visitors in any way.