Modern Scandinavian Forest Home: SOLARIS Build in Northern Europe

Site Conditions: Working with the Land

When we first studied this property, the natural setup was already doing half the work for us. The land is beautifully flat, and it sits just a bit higher than the street level. This tiny elevation shift is great because it gives the home a nice vantage point and naturally helps with water drainage.

Because the site is surrounded by a mix of mature pine trees and new growing forest, the whole property acts like a protected pocket, perfectly sheltered from harsh winds. The best part, however, was a natural clearing right in the middle of the trees. We placed the main house and the ADU on opposite sides of this open space. This created a bright, sunny yard right between the two buildings, giving the family a private outdoor hub that still feels completely tucked into the forest.

Cold Climate Home Design: The Winter Vestibule

Arrival at the home is designed as a deliberate transition from the wild, cold forest into a warm sanctuary. Because Northern European winters are unforgiving, we modified the original Solaris layout to include a separated entry room.

When you step through the front door, this vestibule allows you to shake off the snow, take a seat, and shed heavy coats before entering the main interior. A massive sliding door separates this space from the main hallway. In the depths of winter, it remains closed to trap the cold, and in the summer, it slides away entirely, inviting fresh forest breezes to flow uninterrupted through the home.

Spatial Flow: Balancing Living and Private Spaces

The central hallway acts as the spine of the home, directing family members into one of two distinct wings.

The Open-Concept Living Area

Turning into the living wing, the spatial volume immediately expands. You are greeted by dramatic 3.6-meter (11.8 ft) ceilings and expansive floor-to-ceiling windows that erase the boundary between the living room and the forest. The space begins with a sleek wall of cabinetry and a large prep island, flowing naturally into a dining space and a cozy seating area.

For a young family, this open-concept layout is highly practical. It allows parents to prepare meals in the kitchen while easily keeping an eye on children playing in the living room or outside in the yard. The seamless layout ensures the family remains connected throughout their daily routines, creating a central hub that feels both spacious and secure.

The Private Bedroom Wing

Moving toward the private wing, the hallway widens alongside a large corner window looking into a semi-courtyard. This architectural pause brings a touch of light and greenery into the very center of the floor plan, ensuring that even in transit, the family remains connected to the outdoors.

As you enter the bedrooms, the architectural language shifts. We deliberately lowered the ceilings in the sleeping quarters to create a feeling of intimacy, protection, and rest. The primary suite features a walk-in closet and a private bath, while the children’s rooms share a nearby bathroom. Tucked at the back of this wing is a private terrace, serving as a highly practical lifestyle feature. It is the perfect, secluded spot for drying laundry in the summer breeze or practicing morning yoga completely out of sight.

Matching ADU Design: From Temporary Housing to Nordic Sauna Retreat

A key part of this project is the 93 m²/1,000 sq ft (net) Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) across the yard from the main house. Designed to match the architectural language of the primary residence, the ADU serves a dual purpose.

Currently, it acts as a cozy, fully functional temporary home for the family while the main house is under construction. It features an open living and kitchen area and an extra bedroom. However, once the main house is finished, the ADU will become an entertainment and wellness retreat with both a traditional electric hot-stone sauna and a steam sauna.

Sustainable Building: Orientation, Materials and Natural Shading

When working with large glass surfaces, orientation is everything. To prevent the intense midday sun from overheating the gathering spaces, we oriented the massive living room windows toward the northwest. This not only protects the room from peak heat but also creates a cozy, golden atmosphere during sunset. Meanwhile, the private wing is positioned to welcome the early morning sun into the bedrooms, acting as a gentle, natural alarm clock.

Rather than relying on deep architectural overhangs for shade, we let the site do the work. The towering pine trees act as a dynamic, natural brise-soleil. In the summer, when the sun is high, the dense green canopy provides thick shade. In the winter, when the sun drops low on the horizon, the light slips through the bare lower trunks and brings much-needed daylight into the home.

Building a new home always impacts the land. While a few trees had to be cleared to accommodate the foundation, the vast majority of the forest was carefully preserved. To balance the environmental impact, the family is highly committed to forest replenishment. They plan to plant new trees across the property once construction concludes, ensuring the woodland ecosystem remains vibrant and thriving. 

For a long-lasting structure, the clients chose aerated concrete blocks rather than wood framing. The lightweight blocks are full of small air pockets, which gives them better insulating value than ordinary concrete block, and they do not rot or burn. We wrapped the blocks in continuous exterior insulation, so the heating system has less work to do, and the design reaches energy class A in the design-stage energy calculation.

Deep Dive: Construction and Performance Strategy

Ensuring true winter comfort in Northern Europe requires a very specific structural logic. To understand how the Solaris performs so efficiently, we have to look inside the walls.

The core structure combines aerated concrete block walls with a flat roof. Nordic Home Plans designed the architecture, and local structural engineers did the calculations that size the structure for heavy Northern European snow loads.

From a performance perspective, the main goal in this climate is to keep the winter cold out and the warm indoor air in. The aerated concrete blocks are the first layer: unlike ordinary concrete, they insulate on their own. The whole exterior is then wrapped in continuous rigid foam insulation panels, an unbroken layer designed to minimize thermal bridges.

Because heat naturally rises, the flat roof is a critical part of this thermal defense. A thick insulation layer sits just beneath a heavy-duty, completely waterproof flat roof membrane. This setup stops expensive heat from escaping into the winter sky and leaves a hidden, flat surface where solar panels can be added later.

Finally, the glazing strategy perfectly supports this high-performance envelope. To balance the massive forest views with serious energy efficiency, the home uses triple-glazed units filled with argon gas and finished with a low-emissivity (low-E) coating. This setup acts like a transparent winter coat: it lets daylight in while keeping heat loss through the glass low, even on the coldest nights.

Under the Hood: Engineering for Energy Class A

Reaching energy class A in a Northern European winter takes more than a well-insulated envelope. The “invisible” systems inside the home matter just as much for comfort and efficiency (see our guide to the benefits of energy-efficient Scandinavian homes). The home relies on two core systems, designed by local engineers we found and coordinated for the clients, and the flat roof leaves room to add a third later.

Room for Solar: The flat roof leaves plenty of space for a solar panel array, which the owners are considering. Panels would cover part of the electricity used by the heat pump, the saunas and daily life, and lower long-term energy bills.

How We Worked Together

Nordic Home Plans adapted the SOLARIS Signature Plan for this family, developed the architectural design and prepared the building permit application, which has been granted. The 3D models we created helped the clients review every room before construction started.

The engineering was done by local specialists: structural engineering, heating and ventilation design, and the energy calculation that confirmed class A at the design stage. Our team found these specialists, communicated with them and sent them the drawings and information they needed to complete their work.

For clients in the US and Canada, the split is similar: we lead the architectural design, and locally licensed professionals handle the engineering, code review and permit documents for their jurisdiction, with our team coordinating with them. We work the same way on international projects such as our Nordic home designed for Minas Gerais, Brazil.

The Outcome: A Warm Home, A Smooth Build

Designing a highly efficient home for cold winters is always a balancing act. For this home, the goal was to adapt the SOLARIS plan to Northern European standards and materials without losing the clean, open feel of its design. The design went through the local building permit process, and the house still looks light and modern.

But a good design only matters if it is easy to build. Right now, the home is taking shape, and construction is moving forward smoothly. The homeowners told us the process is going well, and the 3D models we provided are helping their interior designer see exactly how everything will come together.

Ultimately, this project proves that you do not have to choose between winter comfort and great architecture. It is becoming a comfortable, high-quality sanctuary that fits perfectly into the forest, leaving the clients, as they simply put it:

“super happy with our choice!”