THE A HOUSE

Architect Søren Sarup is enthralled by the west-coast town of Agger. And it shows in his beautiful A-shaped summerhouse, which sets the rustling dunes of the landscape into the perfect minimalistic and raw framework.

You cannot stop turning your head to look outside when you stand inside architect Søren Sarup’s newly built summerhouse in Agger by the town of Thy in Jutland. Indeed, he has done his best to steer your gaze. While the house has few views to the south and the unpaved road over towards the neighbours, the entire northern facade has been opened up with glass that affords an unobstructed view of the lake, the wind-swept bushes, the vast sky and the chartreuse yellow dunes so distinctive to the west-coast landscape.

The living room, bathroom and bedroom all have a simple, clean design with few but befitting objects and offer a nice view of the changing seasons and the rich wildlife. You simply have a front-row view of the Danish nature.

“I wanted to create an open summerhouse in close contact with the elements and that is shaped by the generous experiences nature gives us,” explains architect Søren Sarup, who is a member of the Association of Danish Housing

Architects, and continues:

“It is pure zen to lie looking out from the bathtub and suddenly see an otter running past or a roe deer peering in. I can wake up at dawn and spend hours just watching the lake. And when I go inside for a cup of home-brewed coffee, I end up in a chair observing the light, the colours of nature and the rushes bending in the wind. It creates a special sense of calm.”

As one of the house’s many brilliant details, the windows are frameless, going straight down into the floor and the fireplace. The terrace and the interior floorboards are at the same level. This allows your eyes to wander freely, as the floor and both the indoor and outdoor space all coalesce into one.

“You’re in constant touch with your senses when you’re inside the house. I’ve had visitors who found it too stressful. However, most find it very stimulating to observe nature and have it so close,” explains Søren Sarup.

He himself finds the house quite relaxing. He therefore often makes the trip from his home in Aarhus to his summerhouse to get some quiet for his work. In fact, after the house was completed in November, he spent most of the winter there.

An old, typical 70s A-frame house once stood on the property, surrounded by a man-made jumble composed of a garage, sheds, a trampoline and play towers. When he acquired the house, he therefore tore everything down except for twothirds of the A-house and started from scratch.

“You should always use the surroundings and what the property has to offer. So I took the A shape, which is beautiful and vertical, and combined it with a new horizontal and transparent structure. It became a celebration of the A house,” he says.

Today, the house therefore consists of two interconnecting shapes, the horizontal part being somewhat staggered to ensure an optimum influx of light. The slanting roof of the A, which reaches down to touch the tips of the newly mown grass, is made of natural slate, whose shades of grey change with the weather. The facade is lined with raw, unprocessed wood panels of Douglas fir that in time will patinate to a beautiful silver grey. Seen from the outside, the structure and nuances of the materials clearly match the surroundings perfectly. Indeed, Søren Sarup is very familiar with the small west-coast town whose southernmost point is part of the Danish surfer paradise Cold Hawaii. And it is neither the first nor the last time he will build a summerhouse in Agger. As a capable surfer, it was the obvious choice to come to Thy and build his first summerhouses in 2000 and 2007. And last year, the untamed landscape and the distinct north-jutland dialect tempted him yet again to embark on a new summerhouse project a few minutes away but a couple of dune ranges closer to the roaring ocean. Søren Sarup is utterly smitten by Agger, and his enthusiasm is quite contagious.

GOING AGAINST CONVENTION and the orientation of the original house, Søren Sarup has chosen to open his house to the north and close the south-facing side. This bold move enables him to avoid overheated rooms and affords him a luminescent view with a full spectrum of colour. It also ensures a more comfortable influx of light into the house. THE ENTIRE END WALL OF THE LARGEST BATHROOM in the house is made of glass. When it is cold outside, Søren Sarup enjoys the magic of lying in the hot bathtub and looking out at nature. The free-standing bathtub is from Arkilife Zen, and the stunning grey tiles are Memento Mercury.

SØREN SARUP enjoys making a cup of home-brewed coffee. Coffee with a sense quality and thoughtfulness that he finds goes well with the spirit of the house. OUTDOOR SPACE is an important element of a summerhouse. The house is almost completely surrounded by terraces. Søren Sarup has created several small nooks so that you can always find a sunny spot or a sheltered corner away from the thundering North Sea. The terrace is made of locust wood, which is also called false acacia. The plan is to let the grass grow wild, bringing flowers and with them a wealth of insects. THE KITCHEN is done in dark colours to contrast the many white surfaces, and wall cabinets have been omitted to make the kitchen lighter and more spacious. Søren Sarup has hidden the cooker hood behind boards of varnished oak. The wood makes the cooker hood appear to be a piece of furniture and matches perfectly with the oak furniture. The kitchen is from Invita and made of painted MDF in the colour lava grey, while the beautiful ceramic tabletop is from DFI Geisler. The dark-green lamps are from Hay, while

WHEN NIGHT FALLS, you can clearly see how one side of the facade is open. The surrounding area has a rich wildlife. Søren Sarup saw three wolves run across a road while he was driving one night. Even otters, herons and roe deer come all the way up to the house. FROM THE MOMENT YOUR EYES OPEN in the morning, you can take in Agger’s spectacular nature. And if you wake up early, you might even get to say good morning to the roe deer that often wander by around 6 o’clock. The oak book case is designed by Mogens Koch and the Atlantic Light Grey carpet is from Egetaepper.

SØREN SARUP pulled at the classic A-frame as much as he could, so the house now stands out with its distinctive, triangular front. It is neither the first nor the last summerhouse Søren Sarup will build in Agger. He completed the first houses in 2000 and 2007, respectively, and the workers are putting the final touches to his fourth summerhouse, commissioned by one of his friends. And more are on the way, because Søren Sarup’s love of the town of Agger is contagious. The square wooden box in front of the house is empty for now, save for a few grass plants, but will in time be filled with blackberry and raspberry bushes. The house is 153 m2 and sleeps eight. Søren Sarup’s architectural firm is called Puras, see puras.dk.

SØREN SARUP HAS PLACED A FIREPLACE in the outer wall with its large glass sections, thus striving to give the wall a function. This strengthens the continuity between the interior and the exterior. The simple fireplace insert is from Morsø. FROM THE OPEN-PLAN KITCHEN, the hallway leads to an open bedroom. Here you get a long view of the woodpile, which provides shelter from passers-by. The staircase with oak steps leads to a spacious bed loft with several sleeping places. THE LIVING ROOM interior features simple, Danish design that goes perfectly with the Nordic style of the house. The six 7 chairs by Arne Jacobsen are made by Fritz Hansen and have been bought at Illums Bolighus. The dining table top is homemade of varnished oak and the sofa is from Boconcept.