Sigurd Larsen completes low-cost family house in Copenhagen

A single-family residence combines intelligent use of prefabricated materials that is innovative and affordable.

This small black family house in Copenhagen was designed by Danish architect Sigurd Larsen to be built for a budget of just £95,000.

Sigurd Larsen, who is based in Berlin, designed the 80-square-metre building as an affordable residence for a family of three, but also as a prototype for low-cost housing in the Danish capital.

Named Sorte Hus, which translates as Black House, it was built for approximately €1,500 per square metre – just under £1,200. "To get it cheaper in Denmark is close to impossible," the architect told Dezeen.

"The innovative and affordable single-family residence combines intelligent use of prefabricated materials to minimise costs, while utilising a simple spatial composition to maximise room," he said.

The single-storey building has a basic rectangular plan, with a black-painted timber exterior, a glazed facade and a gently sloping gabled roof.

Its base is concrete, which offers passive heating and cooling, while a lightweight wooden framework was chosen so it could be prefabricated over the winter and assembled in early spring.

The building occupies the maximum allowed area permitted by local planning regulations. A partition divides the space into two halves, with the living area at the front and the three equal-sized bedrooms at the back.

In contrast to the dark exterior, the bright interior features white-painted and plywood wall surfaces, complemented by a selection of monochrome furniture pieces.

"Despite the small size, the family wished for individual privacy and bright spacious rooms," continued Larsen, whose past projects include a collection of tables designed to age well.

The south-facing wall of glazing maximises sunlight in the house, while small high-level windows on the east and west facades were added to catch the "first light of dawn and the last rays of dusk".

A free-standing island accommodates the kitchen sink, cooker, fridge-freezer and storage areas.

In the summer, the entire facade can be opened out to a wooden deck and surrounding garden.

Larsen is now working on a similar low-cost residence for a different family, which is under construction elsewhere in the city.