Anders Berensson Architects

A House around a chimney is a sauna constructed around a central brick chimney that is both structural and functional.

We were commissioned to design a sauna within the Swedish permit free rule “Friggedbodsregler”. The rule allows a permit free house that is less than 15 square meter and 3 meter in building height being placed at the same plot as an existing main building. Another permit free rule also allows a 15 square meter canopy covering an outdoor area. We combined the two permit free structures into an indoor/outdoor facility under a symmetrical hip roof leaning on one central chimney.

The solid brick chimney works as a central pillar but bends in an out to fit the functions of the different rooms. Inside the sauna a cut out is made for the sauna unit. In the small rest area, the fireplace has a convex shaped subtraction to fit a wood stove insert. On the outside area the fireplace has the same shaped concave addition to fit a bigger fireplace.

Both indoor and outdoor floors are made in the same limestone tiles. Indoor walls, ceiling and fixed furniture is made from heat-treated aspen wood. The client had a wish to have an almost invisible house from the main building so the house is painted dark brown with a grass covered roof making the house almost disappear in the vegetation.