‘House of Nature’ was designed by ReVærk Arkitektur with the purpose of promoting learning about nature and outdoor life at the folk high school Silkeborg Højskole. Standing at the border between the open meadow and dense woodland, the building frames the school’s courses for the students in its Nature and Outdoor Life programme. As a reference to forests and the building’s purpose, this sustainable architecture project is made of timber, with wood used both for its construction and as a consistent visual theme. Dinesen Douglas planks are used for all the walls, ceilings and battens.
Folk high school – Silkeborg, Denmark
ReVærk
Photo: Anders Rajendiram
_____
Douglas Natural
Thickness: 28 mm. Width: 200-250 mm. Length 7 m
Finish: White Oil and Light Oil
Silkeborg Højskole was the first folk high school in Denmark to offer Nature and Outdoor Life as a main subject. The purpose of the course is to focus on the beauty of basics and to encourage the use of materials and solutions that are environmentally friendly and ensure a good indoor climate. As the course proved increasingly popular, the school wanted to improve its course facilities.
ReVærk’s brief for the course building was to create a space with a clear nature theme that created a close connection with the surrounding woodland. Another key priority for the school was to set new standards for sustainable architecture, and since ReVærk specializes in using natural materials, the choice fell on this Aarhus-based firm.
‘Our goal was to create a building that feels like a continuation of the surrounding woodland. That’s why we chose to cover walls and ceilings with Douglas planks and battens. In combination with the exposed timber construction, this has resulted in unique spaces with a clear nature theme and an atmosphere that supports the experience and usage our client wanted.’
To achieve this result, ReVærk used timber throughout – from the interior to the exterior, as insulation and in construction. A screw pile foundation was used to eliminate the need for concrete on site. In this way, the project can leave the natural area untouched if the building is ever dismantled. In addition, the structure is ‘designed for disassembly’, meaning the components can be taken apart, so the timber can be repurposed.
