Fanmail

A fan has accused us of copying the OMA villa; Anish Kapoor house.

According to him, Villa Sondefors has the same shape, the same layout of rooms, the same program and a swimming pool located at the same part of the house as the Anish Kapoor house. ( 0-1 VD – OMA)



Well, we have to admit that the houses have some striking similarities, however we had not seen the resemblances before you pointed them out. A major difference is of course that Villa Sondefors is actually hovering over the water whereas the Anish Kapoor house is not. (1-1 VD – OMA). Well the case is simple; just check out the dates and you see that Villa Sondefors is designed one year before the Anish Kapoor house (2-1 VD-OMA) which according to OMA is designed in 2006. So don’t worry man, visiondivision do not copy other architects at least not deliberately.

hmmm wait a minute could it not be the other way around? It is time for some detective work.

At the end of 2005 AB send his portfolio to OMA. The second page on that portfolio has actually Villa Sondefors on it made in 2005. When AB starts working in OMA in the spring of 2006, Anish Kapoor House has already been designed. AB sees the model of the house in the office without noticing the resemblances. But according to the dates, Anish Kapoor house must actually have been designed just after OMA received a presentation of Villa Sondefors. A lot of funny coincidences in the small world of architecture? Or does OMA borrow shamelessly from their intern’s portfolios? Who knows? (Probably 2 - 0 VD-OMA)

Well if OMA copy pasted visiondivision, we just want to say that we couldn’t care less. visiondivision is a humble architectural firm that cares for the older generation, and if an old artist wants to play our music, we are more then willingly to hand over the notes. The outcome of this could not be more satisfactory for the vd crew. Villa Sondefors was declined by the Swedish building comity for being too odd in a Swedish landscape, but now Villa Sondefors hopefully will have a sister building in Bahamas instead. What a great surprise! And what a big mistake of that Swedish municipality. Good Copying can sometimes be ok. Declining good architecture will always be a crime!
Final score:
1-0 Bahamas-Sweden.

Villa Sonderfors

The client wanted a unique house with a light indoor environment. The house should consist of one floor with one master bedroom, kitchen, bathroom and living room.
A guesthouse should be included with a kitchen, bathroom and three bedrooms.
The site is divided in three types of nature: red rock, a lower part with grass and an old water filled mining hole.
The solution became a 5 x 40 meter house reaching over the mining hole. The house shape made it possible to have great views in all rooms and also to make a logical plan with two seperate entrées with the living room as a meeting point over the mining hole. A system of doors makes it possible to select view and to divide the house into sections.


Exterior perspective


The site

Facade

Plan