Residential concept · Spatial design · 2016–2017

Multimäki
House

A family home designed around light, movement and the quiet drama of everyday space.

TypeDetached house concept

Year2016–2017

LocationMultimäki, Joensuu

ClientJalava Remontit

RoleConcept, spatial planning, interiors and visualisation

Distinct enough to be remembered. Familiar enough to become someone’s home.

In early 2016, a small construction company commissioned me to develop a detached house for a new residential area in Joensuu. As the house was to be built for sale, it needed a clear identity without becoming too unconventional for the local planning regulations or prospective buyers.

What began as an initial concept grew into an eighteen-month process from early spatial studies to the completed building. The house was sold before construction was finished.

01 · Identity

A familiar form,
made distinctive

The house combines a restrained black timber volume with a vivid red metal roof. The raised central roofline gives the living area height and presence, while the lower entrance and carport volumes keep the composition close to a recognisable Finnish home.

The official construction and permit drawings were subsequently prepared by a house manufacturer based on the developed concept.

Early elevation studies for Multimäki House — Early elevation studies and exterior concept

Completed rear elevation of Multimäki House — Completed rear elevation

02 · Spatial idea

Making space
feel larger

Corridors are often treated as wasted space. I see them as intimate routes that reveal a home gradually.

Several principles guided the plan from the beginning: long internal views, corridors terminating in windows, generous ceiling heights, large openings and a continuous route through the house.

Windows at the ends of the main axes draw daylight deep into the plan. Rather than presenting every room at once, the circulation allows the interior to unfold and feel larger than its actual floor area.

Rendered early floor plan for Multimäki House — Early spatial study

Developed floor plan for Multimäki House — Developed floor plan

Completed corridor with timber wall and a long internal view — A long view through the completed interior

03 · Everyday movement

A house you
can run around

At the centre of the main living area is a freestanding fireplace. It gives the open room a strong visual anchor while allowing circulation around it.

The decision came from a simple domestic conviction: every family home should have a route along which children can run in circles. The fireplace became both the spatial heart of the house and an element around which everyday life could move.