Copenhagen-based architecture studio NORRØN has completed Åstrup Have, a recreational farmhouse in the Danish countryside overlooking the Haderslev Fjord. Embracing Scandinavian ruralism, the house considers the region’s vernacular building tradition and reinterprets it in a contemporary context. Surrounded by a scenic landscape of the rolling countryside, Åstrup Have stands as a four-legged concrete structure with a steep thatched roof, organised around a central courtyard.The clustered volumes are constructed from raw concrete panels with brass-filled joints laid out as a thin grid in the facade. 

The brass-fillings soften the building, a nod to the local vernacular, where metal fillings and objects once were embedded in the old facades and served as generous additions to the regional building culture. When hit by light, a fragile shadow play appears, resulting in a stark, yet atmospheric contrast between the raw and the refined. The roof is inspired by the traditional Haubarg buildings of the region. 

Characteristic to these is that they were all equipped with steep roofs, allowing for the storage of large quantity of hay that simultaneously gave the thatched roofs a long life span as falling water would quickly divert at the steep angle. The characteristic cutting of the roof profile also allows for solar panels, ventilation, chimneys, skylights, and modern technology to be immersed, resulting in a clean, yet discrete expression. 

The interior spaces are composed as a series of diverse volumes, varying in height and size. An oak veneer spans the walls, ceiling, staircase and window details, along the circulation path, adding a coherent finish and natural warmth to the interior. The building is split between residential spaces and culinary facilities. Towards the north, there’s a garage and a workshop. Facing east, a guest wing with units of spartan-decorated monk’s cells appear. 

The main programs of the building, the culinary facilities, are distributed towards the west and consist of production and educational spaces, a kitchen and a food distribution area. Supporting the guest and production facilities, is the main house with small living units and an orangery located in the southern leg of the building.The space interprets the historical layers of a former 1850s textile factory warehouse into an industrial aesthetic with a refined twist.