Situated on the Finnish coastline in Raseborg, Villa Bergola is a beautiful holiday home separated from the beach and sea by cliffs. The natural building materials allow the house to blend seamlessly into its environment. Nine Renson Fixscreens have been integrated into the building, effectively preventing the low-hanging sun's rays from turning the interior into a sauna. Three of them are equipped with blackout fabric to counter the midnight sun in the bedrooms during summer, ensuring restful sleep for the occupants.

The best home solutions on cliffs

“The location is one of the most beautiful I have ever seen,” confesses architect Aleksi Niemeläinen (Futudesign). “From the sea, high cliffs separate the beach from the area where this holiday home stands.”

“We had to consult with the municipality on this project,” recalls the architect. “The property should have limited – or preferably no – visibility from the coast. Therefore, we opted for a horizontal architecture that blends into nature, helped by the choice of wood and stone materials.”

“The owner himself didn’t have many design requirements,” explains Aleksi Niemeläinen. “He is an enthusiastic and inquisitive person who wanted to be thoroughly informed at every stage. Sustainability was important to him, so he opted for the best – and therefore not necessarily the cheapest – solutions. As an architect, I can only welcome that.”

Quality sun protection

“As a committed owner, he also visited our showroom,” says Maria Sillman of Studio Dekosol. “His initial idea was to use external horizontal blinds on the windows. However, closed blinds would completely close off the living space from the outside world. So, we started looking into alternative solutions together. I introduced him to Renson’s high-quality external sun protection screens. 

The ability to install them seamlessly and the favorable guarantee terms were key factors in the decision. Additionally, the screens help retain the view and maintain a connection with the outdoors. From a sustainability perspective, outdoor screens are also beneficial. In Finland, the sun often sits very low in the sky, causing direct sunlight to hit the windows and leading to overheating, especially in summer.

Outdoor sun protection prevents this by blocking the sunrays before they reach the glass. This reduces the need for air conditioning, making the solution both sustainable and energy-efficient.”

Extreme conditions

“In addition, the harsh conditions in which the screens have to work were also decisive,” adds the architect. “At the top of the cliff, in bad weather, it’s like being on the open sea. Wind, freezing rain, and snow batter the façade and the sun protection; branches fly around… The solidity and wind resistance of the sun protection screen are therefore extremely important. The fact that the Renson screens could be installed almost invisibly also played a role. In terms of colour, they were perfectly matched to the window frames, so that the sun protection and frames appear to be an integrated whole.”

Restful nights and heat control

“In the end, this project contains nine Renson FixScreens,” tallies Maria Sillman. “Three of those have blackout fabric in the bedroom windows. Because of the midnight sun – in southern Finland it only gets dark for a few hours each night in summer – this is definitely recommended if you want to get some sleep. Outdoor sun protection was even fitted to the sauna window. In fact, the sauna window gives out onto the patio and that screen ensures privacy while still allowing you to look outside.”

Race with and against the sun

“As an installer of outdoor sun protection, we face a specific dilemma every year in spring. On the one hand, we want the sun to shine so the snow disappears and we can proceed to install screens. On the other hand, we need to be able to install the screens before the sun gets too strong and the indoor rooms turn into an (unpleasant) sauna” laughs Maria.

Popular retreat

The owner is full of praise for the finished result—Villa Bergola. "Surrounded by nature, with stunning views of the forest, cliffs, and sea, we now created a truly serene retreat. Even though it's a 2.5-hour drive from Helsinki, the family has spent more time in their summer home than they initially expected. I believe that’s a huge compliment to everyone involved.