House For A Grandmother / Philip Lütken

Architects: Philip Lütken
Area: 50 m²
Year: 2022
Photography: Kim Høltermand
Manufacturers: H+H, Krone Vinduer A/S, Petersen Tegl
City: Copenhagen
Country: Denmark

Amager Residence, a residential extension in Copenhagen, Denmark, designed by Philip Lütken, exemplifies the thoughtful integration of multigenerational living spaces within an existing family home. Completed in 2022, the project enables a grandmother to cohabit seamlessly with her daughter’s family by adding an independent yet connected living area tailored for future generational use. The design ingeniously utilizes a descending series of rooms and niches that echo the garden’s scale, promoting both communal and private spaces. Embracing Danish building traditions, the structure reveals the intricate layers of its construction, from the robust, visible load-bearing walls to the subtly aligned brickwork, enhancing both functionality and aesthetic appeal. This approach not only respects traditional materials and methods but also optimizes them for contemporary needs, ensuring the home’s adaptability and sustainability.

House for a grandmother / philip lütken — Courtesy of Philip Lütken

Amager Residence, a residential extension in Copenhagen, illustrates architecture’s transformative power in adapting family homes for multigenerational living. Completed in 2022, this project facilitates a grandmother’s integration into her daughter’s existing home through a thoughtful extension. This new structure connects seamlessly with the existing home and stands as an independent unit capable of evolving with future generational needs.

The design features a series of rooms and niches that progressively step down to align with the garden’s scale, creating various indoor and outdoor corners. This structure serves as a robust framework for day-to-day life, where the main area’s expansive height fosters communal living across generations. In contrast, other spaces like bedrooms and service areas maintain a more intimate scale.

Constructed to reflect Danish building traditions, the extension utilizes brick, porous concrete, and wood beams, showcasing the structural layers and their unique properties. The visibility of the inner load-bearing walls, composed of large blocks with pronounced lintels, contrasts with the exterior brickwork, presented as a lightweight shell. This intentional misalignment allows for the creative placement of window frames within the wall’s cavity, enhancing the design’s depth and complexity.

Economical yet effective, the project emphasizes removing unnecessary elements to allocate funds toward refining essential finishes. Interior blocks are directly painted with mineral silicate paint to enhance breathability and moisture control. Visible wooden beams are treated with wax, and the exterior’s lime mortar not only complements the brickwork but ensures the future reusability of the bricks. Laid in one process, the bricks’ rough finish harmoniously contrasts with the existing structure, asserting its unique identity without appearing new.