wafai sculpts the 'scandinavian seashell house' as a single organic form

italian architect wafai envisions the speculative ‘scandinavian seashell house.’ the design of the project is driven by the desire for a small footprint with a simple expression that recalls the organic form of a shell found in nature. with his scandinavian seashell house proposal, the designer simultaneously seeks to promote an environmental and sustainable approach toward modern residential projects. this emphasis is expressed through the integration of such passive features as passive cooling, natural sunlight penetration, and recycled, reused materials.

all images by wafai architecture | @wafai___

wafai programmatically divides his scandinavian seashell house into three main parts — the open plan living area contains the kitchen, dining space, and living room with a sofa oriented outward toward the big circular glass window for maximum relation with nature. while the night space hosts two bedrooms and baths, the exterior offers a swimming pool and recreation area. the living area and the master bedroom both offer access to an internal garden — each expressed as large, roofless, glass cylinders. the adjacent interior spaces are integrated with lush plant life to obscure the boundary between the outside and in, emphasizing an connection with the natural environment.

wafai proposes the scandinavian seashell house to be fabricated with a structural system of glulam timber frames filled with natural straw insulation. while this method derives from a typical timber studwork approach, the cladding is to be cut of recycled found wood. with this technique of upcycling, each wooden shingle expresses a unique shade. once assembled as a complete finish, these half circle shingles together form a complex facade of patterning.

project info:

project title: scandinavian seashell house

architecture: wafai architecture | @wafai___