Djupvike House And Studio / Ateljé Ö

Architects: Ateljé Ö
Area: 280 m²
Year: 2021
Photographs: Martin Brusewitz
Lead Architects: Joel Winsnes, Mats Wahlström Walter
Design Team: Ateljé Ö
City: Östergarn, Gotland
Country: Sweden

Ateljé Djupvike residential studio compound by Ateljé Ö on the east coast of Gotland transformed the footprint of a former farm into five new structures blending habitation and creative work. Developed through a sustained collaboration with artists and craftspeople, the design preserves site memory while integrating panoramic views of the Baltic Sea. Completed with materials like concrete, pine, and plaster, the project merges functional calm with detailed artistic moments such as terrazzo-clad bathrooms and mural-covered ceilings, maintaining continuity between the built environment and its surrounding field and shoreline.

Ateljé Djupvike is a combined home and studio designed and constructed by Ateljé Ö for an artist client. The project resulted from an extended collaborative process that involved not only the architect but also a network of artisans and artists, many of whom were personal acquaintances of the client. This collaborative effort shaped every aspect of the house’s development over several years.

The small compound comprises five distinct single-story buildings, including a root cellar, arranged on a field of wildflowers near a rocky cove on Gotland’s eastern coast. The orientation and spatial relationships of the new structures follow the layout of a historic farm once present on the site, ensuring that the new construction remains rooted in the location’s architectural past. The buildings’ flat roofs emphasize horizontality, and low stone walls define the ensemble, embedding it within the gently sloping terrain.

The main residence opens toward the Baltic Sea through expansive floor-to-ceiling glazing. The constantly shifting view—comprising water movement, a distant island, and changing light—forms an essential component of the building’s lived experience. Interiors express a balance between restraint and character, with materials such as polished concrete, locally influenced treated pine, and plaster setting a quiet, tactile tone. Wall colors echo the muted hues of the sun-dried grasses between the house and the sea.

Select interior moments bring in playful, expressive elements: a bathroom finished in apricot-hued terrazzo and a bedroom ceiling painted with blue murals of vines, birds, and monkeys. These personalized details stand in contrast to the otherwise sober material palette, underscoring the home’s dual role as a space for both living and artistic production.