Elegant and functional villa in Stavtrup

In a newly built house on the outskirts of Aarhus, large windows allow daylight to flood into the heart of the building. Good acoustics were also part of the solution.

The beautiful brick house rises up in a typical residential development in Stavtrup, a suburb of Aarhus. As it sits there, upright and tall and commanding views of Denmark’s second-largest city, it exudes both elegance and functionality.

“The most important thing for us was to create a practical house which is maintenance-free, flexible and without too much wasted space. Consequently, we’ve tried to make the interior as open as possible,” says Peter Nørby.

He lives in the newly built property together with his wife Karina and their three children aged 3 to 11, after they moved there at the end of 2015.  The building’s shell and location were given, but together with the architect Poul Jensen, the family decided on fixtures and other solutions.

Light and airy – and views
The first floor is the heart and soul of the house. A large kitchen/living room runs straight into the sitting room, which has floor-to-ceiling north-facing windows at the opposite end. The expansive windows ensure a light and airy feel, and from here the family can enjoy the magnificent views of Aarhus, the lake Brabrand Sø and even – on a clear day – the Mols Bjerge hills.

The living space, which has a mono-pitched ceiling, is where the family comes together.  Placing the kitchen right in the centre was a deliberate choice designed to create a holistic experience. The first floor is where meals are cooked, and it is also here they are eaten, and where afterwards you can relax in the sofa or settle down to enjoy the views.

Troldtekt scepticism dissipated
It was the architect, Poul Jensen, who suggested Troldtekt for the ceilings. Initially, Karina and Peter were sceptical, but on the other hand they also appreciated the need for good sound insulation in their home. 

“It took a while to get used to the ceilings, but we think they work really well. The Troldtekt acoustic panels provide a discreet contrast in all the rooms, and together with the wooden floors create an extremely nice and warm look. If we had opted for a traditional ceiling and tiled floor, the sound would have reverberated everywhere, but the wooden floor and Troldtekt acoustic panels combine to produce very good acoustics,” says Peter Nørby.

Troldtekt acoustic panels have been installed on all the ceilings – even in the carport. The house is one of 14 houses in all which were built as part of a single development. The look and location of each house is very different, but on the architect’s recommendation they all have Troldtekt ceilings.