Building with wood establishes a real connection with the world and with human history. The material itself feels alive: it breathes, is soft to the touch, and bears the marks of time with quiet dignity. In Scandinavia, timber has always been part of the holiday cottage tradition: weathered cladding turned silvery by salt and wind, interiors scented with pine and sunlight. For generations, wood has framed cherished rituals of retreat – a return to simple rhythm of outdoor life, sea air and slow time.
Today, Danish architecture studio Njordrum is reinterpreting that tradition for a new era of design-conscious, sustainability-minded homeowners. Their wooden houses are both modern and deeply connected to nature, balancing architectural clarity with the warmth and tactility of natural materials.
One such home stands on a beautifully located plot in Røsnæs in Northern Zealand, overlooking the sea. Here, a family of four, comprising two adults and two teenagers, escape the buzz of Copenhagen whenever they can. Life, they say, becomes simpler the moment they arrive.
‘Everything slows down here,’ says the owner. ‘Things are more immediate, more honest – and completely unpretentious.’
Their home, a ‘Frigg’ modular summer house comprising 120 square metres of floor space, blends into the landscape. Through the large windows, the family can enjoy uninterrupted views of the greenery and the sea. The house and its inhabitants are in constant dialogue with nature thanks to the open-plan layout and the large glass orangery at the centre, which links the home’s two modules or wings and invites the outdoors in – especially in summer, when the entire house opens up. With light, billowing curtains fluttering in the sea breeze, the effect could hardly be more charming. ‘It almost feels Mediterranean up here,’ the owner smiles. ‘All that’s missing is a bit of Puccini in the background.’
Her husband adds: ‘The house is romantic yet modern and minimalist; it combines the best of two worlds. We chose wood because it has soul. It’s organic and alive; it breathes and moves with the seasons. It is shaped by the surroundings, changing colour as it weathers, and won’t just stay the same as when we got it. The patina makes it more beautiful over time. We could never imagine having a brick or concrete summer house — that would feel far too suburban for us.’
The family’s everyday life unfolds around their favourite part of the house: the orangery, the place where indoors and outdoors meet. One might be cooking in the kitchen, another reading in the orangery, while the teenagers occupy their own wing of the house. ‘It’s ideal,’ they say. ‘We can each have our space and still be together.’
The plan, consisting of two slightly offset volumes joined by the glass pavilion, offers privacy without distance, connection without crowding. It’s a home designed for sociability and solitude alike. Whenever someone needs a bit of quiet time, there is the ‘Siesta Room’: a quiet corner for reading, resting or daydreaming. ‘We’re outside most of the day,’ the owner says, ‘and you do get pleasantly tired from the sun and wind. So it’s lovely to come in, lie down and relax. I actually take a little siesta here every day.’
‘Nothing here should dominate,’ say the owners.
‘In a house like this, everything must feel visually balanced and calm.’
The family delights in the everyday encounters that come with living so close to nature. One evening, their son was showering outdoors when he suddenly noticed an owl perched on a nearby branch, watching him with wide, curious eyes. Moments like that, provided by nature’s gifts, make the place extra special. It’s all part of what Njordrum calls ‘life balance’.
Inside, the décor reflects the outside architecture and landscape: uncluttered and honest. Clean-lined, well-crafted furniture and Danish design classics are paired with light, sand-coloured curtains that add a dash of poetry, soften the stark geometry and filter the coastal light. The curtains lend intimacy, warmth and privacy, particularly in winter when it’s very dark outside, all while quietly contributing to the home’s energy efficiency. But like the furniture, they remain understated. ‘Nothing here should dominate,’ say the owners. ‘In a house like this, everything must feel visually balanced and calm.’
The family were already familiar with Røsnæs, having owned two previous summer houses nearby. When this particular plot came up for sale, they didn’t hesitate. ‘It’s wonderful not to be looking into other rooftops,’ they explain. ‘Here, we have an open view of the sea and horizon. And since the land in front is protected, we’ll hopefully enjoy this for many years to come.’
They deliberately chose a Njordrum house to try something new and different: ‘Lots of Danish holiday homes look alike, especially in the areas where most of the places were built in the sixties. This house stands out; it has a very different DNA. It’s also excellently suited to the rather windy plot: it provides plenty of shelter when necessary and can be opened up entirely when the weather’s fine. This house works well in real life.’
Examples of other Njordrum modules – here Skadi™, featuring light wood details and flexible screw-pile foundations that reduce environmental impact and allow the house to be relocated.
Founded in Aarhus, Denmark, Njordrum offers what it calls holistic design: a harmonious synthesis of function, architecture, design and nature. Within this framework, each home can be tailored to its owners’ needs and preferences, as this family has done.
‘A Njordrum holiday retreat is a complete architectural concept that extends to every scale – from the overall architecture to the smallest component or detail,’ explains architect and project manager on the family’s cottage, Lars Vejen. ‘This house is built according to long-term, sustainable principles that consider its entire life cycle. These modular, movable structures – which can be completed in as little as four months – are designed to show deep respect for natural resources. The timber is thermally treated instead of using chemicals, and of course wood is a sustainable and renewable material. Also, these houses rest on screw piles instead of concrete foundations, which drastically reduces their environmental impact – and makes it possible to relocate and reuse the house and base alike.’ At this site in Røsnæs, the flexibility had the added benefit of enabling the family to keep many of the old apple trees, lending the place an instant air of maturity.
Lars also describes the ‘Frigg’ model as flexible and ‘elastic’: it can be extended in 48-square-metre increments with new modules on either side of the orangery. This makes it ideal for growing families or even for shared ownership, a rising trend in Denmark.
Each module is constructed to the same high standards as a permanent dwelling and requires minimal maintenance: a coat of paint every ten years is enough. ‘It’s a house that’s both practical and poetic,’ says Lars.
Building with wood is very familiar to Lars Vejen: over his three-decade career, he has returned to wood again and again.
‘Wood has always been a natural part of my life, both personally and professionally,’ he says. ‘It surrounds us in so many forms: as trees, as structures, as furniture, as design objects. I love everything about wood: its tactility, its unique grain, its strength and beauty. Wood is part of our DNA. You immediately understand it. Like air, earth, water and stone, it’s one of the fundamental elements of life, something that feels natural, self-evident and safe. That’s why wood is such a perfect frame for our lives, especially our leisure time.’
