From afar, the dramatic black silhouette of this modern residence looks like a mountain range that has lifted up off the grassy plains of Suffolk, England to hover in the sky. Its upper volumes appear entirely disconnected from the earth for an effect that?s the opposite of ?grounded,? seeming to magnetically levitate above the surface rather than taking shelter within its solidity. Whereas most homes seem to savor that rootedness, ?Dune House? evades it, but not at the cost of interior coziness.

Collaborating with Mole Architects Limited, Oslo-based JVA Architects set out to subvert the typical English seaside dwelling even while taking visual cues from it, contrasting traditional gabled rooflines with wall-to-wall glazing, a matte black finish and reflective roofing made of lightly tinted orange steel alloy to reflect the shifting colors of the sea and sky and sparkle in direct sunlight. The architects sought a design that would fit in with the local architectural vernacular and customs while simultaneously presenting something brand new. The result achieves this goal with inflections of the firm?s Nordic roots, nestling within the dunes in a way that?s visually as light and airy as a cloud.
The pitch-black upper volumes clad in timber planks contain private spaces including four bedrooms, while the glassed-in concrete and aluminum lower floor opens the common spaces to the sunlight and beautiful panoramic views of the North Sea and adjacent meadows. Each room has its o...