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Project posted by Anita Barner Ibsen

The Architect's backyard home

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Location
Fredericia, Danmark
Year
2018
Brick and concrete never perish. That is what Jesper Therkildsen told himself and his wife when they stood in front of the old, 1930s back building in Fredericia town centre. There was a hole in the roof, and the backyard was regarded as one of the dodgier addresses in town.
Brick and concrete never perish. That is what Jesper Therkildsen told himself and his wife when they stood in front of the old, 1930s back building in Fredericia town centre. There was a hole in the roof, and the backyard was regarded as one of the dodgier addresses in town.
The dining area constitutes the connecting area between the kitchen and the living room, together making up the first floor of the house. From here, the folding glass doors lead to the terrace. The dining table is the family’s own design, built in collaboration with Erbs Design.
The dining area constitutes the connecting area between the kitchen and the living room, together making up the first floor of the house. From here, the folding glass doors lead to the terrace. The dining table is the family’s own design, built in collaboration with Erbs Design.
The Multiform kitchen was designed as a functional decorative element in the large, open living area on the first floor. Jesper and Karin chose a combination of Multiform elements in white lacquered wood, smoked oak and steel, which interacts with the building’s industrial windows, rough brickwork and exposed beams. The built-in, floor-to-ceiling elements contain domestic appliances and an abundance of storage, while the hob is located on the wall-mounted part of the white kitchen, a striking contrast to the rough brick wall. Like an aesthetic item of furniture, the steel and smoked oak kitchen island junts into an elegant sitting area, where the family can sit and watch the news. The kitchen is from Multiform, and Jesper designed the solution himself. In a small adjacent room Jesper established a pantry for kitchen appliances etc. It also contains a convenient sink for more basic kitchen tasks. Multiform kitchen, Vola fixtures, Delta Light wall lamps, Philippe Starck chairs at the kitchen island.
The Multiform kitchen was designed as a functional decorative element in the large, open living area on the first floor. Jesper and Karin chose a combination of Multiform elements in white lacquered wood, smoked oak and steel, which interacts with the building’s industrial windows, rough brickwork and exposed beams. The built-in, floor-to-ceiling elements contain domestic appliances and an abundance of storage, while the hob is located on the wall-mounted part of the white kitchen, a striking contrast to the rough brick wall. Like an aesthetic item of furniture, the steel and smoked oak kitchen island junts into an elegant sitting area, where the family can sit and watch the news. The kitchen is from Multiform, and Jesper designed the solution himself. In a small adjacent room Jesper established a pantry for kitchen appliances etc. It also contains a convenient sink for more basic kitchen tasks. Multiform kitchen, Vola fixtures, Delta Light wall lamps, Philippe Starck chairs at the kitchen island.
The back building has no garden, but the green ramparts of Fredericia are right on the other side of the courtyard. However, the family has a roof terrace, big enough for a refectory table, a sofa group and an outdoor kitchen with grill, which is connected to the kitchen-dining room by a sliding door. Originally there was a concrete terrace on two levels. Jesper reduced it to a single level, lending the building a clearer-cut look.
The back building has no garden, but the green ramparts of Fredericia are right on the other side of the courtyard. However, the family has a roof terrace, big enough for a refectory table, a sofa group and an outdoor kitchen with grill, which is connected to the kitchen-dining room by a sliding door. Originally there was a concrete terrace on two levels. Jesper reduced it to a single level, lending the building a clearer-cut look.
The staircase leads up to the living room, which is planned around the fireplace at the opposite end of the kitchen on the first floor. Both the stairs and the floors feature wide Dinesen Douglas Pine floorboards. Eilersen sofa. The round armchair is an Eera Aarnio ‘Ball Chair’.
The staircase leads up to the living room, which is planned around the fireplace at the opposite end of the kitchen on the first floor. Both the stairs and the floors feature wide Dinesen Douglas Pine floorboards. Eilersen sofa. The round armchair is an Eera Aarnio ‘Ball Chair’.
Jesper and Karin have an impressive 24 square metres of wellness and everyday pleasure in their huge bathroom, adjacent to the bedroom. Because the back building is located on a boundary, no windows were allowed on the back of the house. This paved the way for innovative interior options, including the extra large bathroom and walk-in closet. The Vola fixtures are mounted on the wall. It was Jesper himself who carefully removed the original bricks and replaced them afterwards. Bad & Stil washbasin, Copenhagen Bath bathtub
Jesper and Karin have an impressive 24 square metres of wellness and everyday pleasure in their huge bathroom, adjacent to the bedroom. Because the back building is located on a boundary, no windows were allowed on the back of the house. This paved the way for innovative interior options, including the extra large bathroom and walk-in closet. The Vola fixtures are mounted on the wall. It was Jesper himself who carefully removed the original bricks and replaced them afterwards. Bad & Stil washbasin, Copenhagen Bath bathtub
From the bedroom Jesper and Karin have access to a small covered terrace, while the end wall is taken up by a large walk-in closet, fitted with Multiform cabinets. The glass doors are yet another of the elegant details, which help raise the bar in terms of the back building’s interior decoration.
From the bedroom Jesper and Karin have access to a small covered terrace, while the end wall is taken up by a large walk-in closet, fitted with Multiform cabinets. The glass doors are yet another of the elegant details, which help raise the bar in terms of the back building’s interior decoration.
Jesper Therkildsen works from the back building and established an office space on the ground floor. He built the desk out of some of the back building’s original floorboards. Flos lamp.
Jesper Therkildsen works from the back building and established an office space on the ground floor. He built the desk out of some of the back building’s original floorboards. Flos lamp.
The concrete stairs to the basement were cast on site. They lead to the inviting home cinema with its large screen and soft furniture. Jesper designed the back building for the life the family is living right now. That involves cosy film nights with the grown-up children, dart tournaments and fine wine, and the basement caters for all those interests.
The concrete stairs to the basement were cast on site. They lead to the inviting home cinema with its large screen and soft furniture. Jesper designed the back building for the life the family is living right now. That involves cosy film nights with the grown-up children, dart tournaments and fine wine, and the basement caters for all those interests.
Rough, original brickwork and glass – and a collection of fine wines. Jesper designed the storage solution in the wine cellar, which can now be purchased from Erbs Design. As in the other rooms of the house, there was a clear strategy for lighting.
Rough, original brickwork and glass – and a collection of fine wines. Jesper designed the storage solution in the wine cellar, which can now be purchased from Erbs Design. As in the other rooms of the house, there was a clear strategy for lighting.
Home gym
Home gym
Jesper found the old tin can in one of the building’s walls. It had been bricked in by one of the apprentice bricklayers when the building was being constructed.
Jesper found the old tin can in one of the building’s walls. It had been bricked in by one of the apprentice bricklayers when the building was being constructed.
About two years ago, Jesper and Karin decided to convert the run-down back building into a dream home. Karin runs her skin care clinic in the building on the street, while the couple live in the back building, where Jesper also works.
About two years ago, Jesper and Karin decided to convert the run-down back building into a dream home. Karin runs her skin care clinic in the building on the street, while the couple live in the back building, where Jesper also works.
When darkness falls, the lighting sets the stage for a new experience of the back building. Lighting, both inside and outside, was a major priority for Jesper. Jesper fell in love with the lamps on the house, but they were not really intended for outdoor use. He solved the issue with new wiring and custom-made glass from a glazier. “Lighting plays a huge role in the house and should be just as major an experience as everything else. I design and build love of life, and I believe that if a home has aesthetic value it makes you a happier person,” says Jesper Therkildsen.
When darkness falls, the lighting sets the stage for a new experience of the back building. Lighting, both inside and outside, was a major priority for Jesper. Jesper fell in love with the lamps on the house, but they were not really intended for outdoor use. He solved the issue with new wiring and custom-made glass from a glazier. “Lighting plays a huge role in the house and should be just as major an experience as everything else. I design and build love of life, and I believe that if a home has aesthetic value it makes you a happier person,” says Jesper Therkildsen.

Credits

Posted by
Architect
Jesper Therkildsen
Interior Design
Kitchen design by Per Larsen, Multiform Horsens
Photographer
Andreas Mikkel Hansen
Publications
Bo Bedre

From Anita Barner Ibsen

The Danish architect, Jesper Therkildsen transformed one of Fredericia’s old, forgotten backyards into an oasis in the town centre: a unique home designed on the basis of dreams for a current lifestyle. Here, in this newly renovated back building, the original history of the building lives side by side with the family’s modern everyday life: getting together in the home cinema, assembling in the open kitchen or chilling out on the roof terrace with a view of the roofs and green ramparts of the town.

Who: The architect Jesper Therkildsen and his wife Karin Therkildsen who has her own cosmetic clinic. Their grown-up children have either completely or partially left home.

What: A 370-m2 back building in Fredericia, Denmark. The building dates from the 1930s and was originally designed for the cooperative society of the Danish State Railways. Jesper designed the entire renovation by himself.

Brick and concrete never perish. That is what Jesper Therkildsen told himself and his wife when they stood in front of the old, 1930s back building in Fredericia town centre. There was a hole in the roof, and the backyard was regarded as one of the dodgier addresses in town. But there they were, gazing at this monstrosity of a back building that had been empty since the domestic appliances company, Skousen left the site in the late 00s.

“I could see that the building had some special proportions and a really fascinating shape. So the experience of working on this old warehouse building with its visible structures, brickwork and rafters was such fun,” says Jesper Therkildsen, an architect known for his creative, constructive approach.

“Our aim was to use all the space we have: not by forming loads of small rooms, but by creating some beautiful, special settings and experiences. We raised the bar for the project several times along the way and chose the best materials and the most fabulous kitchen. We allocated a lot of space to the large open staircase, and I used a ton of energy and a small fortune on creating lighting in a league of its own, both inside and out. We also wanted to preserve as much of the original building as possible and to ensure the framework would still retain something of its old character. But getting a craftsman to build something intentionally crooked is a bit of a challenge,” Jesper Therkildsen says laughing.