Villa Greig stilt house, Bergen

Villa Greig is built on stilts atop a hill overlooking Nordåsvannet near Bergen, Norway. It was designed by architect Todd Saunders, born in Gander, Newfoundland and trained in architecture at McGill University, known for designs that defy both gravity and expectations. It is the ninth house he has built in the area.

The plot was inherited by musician Alexander Grieg, a distant relative of the composer Edvard Grieg, on land just above Troldhaugen, the composer's house, now a museum.

At first glance the volume looks austere; the curved forms soften that reading, as does the Kebony Character cladding, which lets the house blend into its surroundings. The Character grade, with its visible knots, offers a natural texture suited to the wooded setting, and the modified wood withstands the humid west Norwegian climate over the long term. Photography: Ivar Kvaal.