![](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2016/11/villa-nordic-office-architecture-residential-norway_dezeen_heroc-852x479.jpg)
Nordic's Villa Vatnan is a hilltop house with a view over a Norwegian city
Nordic Office of Architecture has completed a concrete and glass house on the outskirts of Trondheim, Norway, that offers its occupants impressive views.
Villa Vatnan was developed by Oslo-based Nordic Office of Architecture for a steeply sloping site on the edge of a residential area.
![Villa by Nordic Office of Architecture](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2016/11/villa-nordic-office-architecture-residential-norway_dezeen_2364_col_5-852x568.jpg)
With a concrete base and a glazed upper storey, the property was designed to make the best of the site's awkward topography, offering expansive views over Trondheim while also protecting itself from harsh winds.
![Villa by Nordic Office of Architecture](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2016/11/villa-nordic-office-architecture-residential-norway_dezeen_2364_col_6-852x568.jpg)
The main living spaces and bedrooms are accommodated in the elongated glass box that forms the upper level. This cantilevers above a solid base, to ensure that rooms are positioned in a good spot to face down over the top of the hill.
![Villa by Nordic Office of Architecture](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2016/11/villa-nordic-office-architecture-residential-norway_dezeen_2364_col_17-852x569.jpg)
"The family desired a home for both everyday life and entertaining, where the primary rooms are all collated on one floor with generous sizes and well-resolved spatial relationships," said the architects.
"By lifting this main floor up to one floor above the natural entrance level, we captured the best of the views and the sun."
![Villa by Nordic Office of Architecture](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2016/11/villa-nordic-office-architecture-residential-norway_dezeen_2364_col_0-852x1117.jpg)
The floor-to-ceiling glass contains sliding doors, which connect the internal spaces with a covered terrace that stretches the full width of the house.
A private decked area beyond the terrace contains outdoor lounge seating and a dining space that extends towards the garden. Steps on either side of the building lead down to the street level.
![Villa by Nordic Office of Architecture](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2016/11/villa-nordic-office-architecture-residential-norway_dezeen_2364_col_12-852x568.jpg)
From the street, the house's gable end is predominantly clad in cedar wood, forming a solid surface that enhances the building's sense of privacy.
![Villa by Nordic Office of Architecture](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2016/11/villa-nordic-office-architecture-residential-norway_dezeen_2364_col_1-852x1276.jpg)
The concrete basement level accommodates the garage, along with a laundry, storage space and a bedsit for guests. A wooden entrance door set into the concrete connects with a stairwell illuminated by a window on the first floor.
![Villa by Nordic Office of Architecture](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2016/11/villa-nordic-office-architecture-residential-norway_dezeen_2364_col_13-852x1277.jpg)
At the top of the stairs, a short hall leads towards two bedrooms and a bathroom above the garage. On the other side is the main living space, with a sliding door at the far end opening onto the master bedroom suite.
![Villa by Nordic Office of Architecture](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2016/11/villa-nordic-office-architecture-residential-norway_dezeen_2364_col_14-852x1069.jpg)
A simple material palette applied throughout the house lends the interior a distinctly Scandinavian character.
Exposed concrete walls contrast with natural pine boards that cover the entire floor, with veneered oak used for joinery in the kitchen, living room and terrace.
![Villa by Nordic Office of Architecture](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2016/11/villa-nordic-office-architecture-residential-norway_dezeen_2364_col_16-852x568.jpg)
High ceilings and the expansive glazed surfaces emphasise the spacious feel of the interior, and the sense of it extending towards the garden and the view beyond.
Photography is by M Herzog unless otherwise stated.