Petry Retreat / N+P Arkitektur / Denmark

Stylish modern house with glass walls and wooden accents on a scenic beach landscape.

Project: Petry Retreat
Architect: N+P ARKITEKTUR
Location: Denmark, Danish West Coast
Year: 2018
Area: 120 m2
Photography: N+P Arkitektur

Set within the dramatic dune landscape along Denmark’s west coast, Petry Retreat by N+P Arkitektur offers a compact yet generous escape with sweeping 180-degree views over the North Sea. The architecture approaches the site with humility—geometry, materials, and orientation work together to honor the surrounding dunes and ocean light.

A Minimalist Beach House Amid Dunes and Sea

The concept embraces simplicity, continuity, and connection. A contained volume opens fully to the sea while grounding itself against the dune backdrop. All primary rooms step out to a wrap-around terrace, inviting a continuous indoor–outdoor dialogue through shifting seasons. Behind the house, a reclaimed WWII concrete bunker is repurposed as a wine cellar and wood store—an earthy counterpoint to the home’s lightness.

Petry Retreat by N+P Arkitektur — Danish beach house set among dunes with panoramic North Sea views — Photography © Courtesy of N+P Arkitektur

Concept & Spatial Organization

The plan is compact and efficient, prioritizing clarity in circulation and framed views. Floor-to-ceiling glazing and corner windows ensure every space is visually connected to the horizon. The continuous terrace lends each room a direct relationship to wind, light, and sound—turning daily rituals into landscape moments.

Petry Retreat by N+P Arkitektur — approach through Danish dunes to a minimalist coastal house — Photography © Courtesy of N+P Arkitektur

Petry Retreat — full-wrap terrace linking living spaces to dunes and North Sea — Photography © Courtesy of N+P Arkitektur

Petry Retreat — corner glazing framing horizon and dune landscape — Photography © Courtesy of N+P Arkitektur

Materials & Exterior Expression

A timber frame clad in thermo-treated wood (thermo ash) harmonizes with the dunes and will weather gracefully. A sedum green roof visually anchors the home to its terrain while enhancing insulation and biodiversity. Expansive glazing dissolves boundaries, while the tactile balance of warm timber, smooth glass, and planted roof creates a calm, earthy palette.

Petry Retreat — thermo wood cladding blending with dune grasses — Photography © Courtesy of N+P Arkitektur

Modern minimalist interior with a sleek corner fireplace, large glass sliding doors, and light wooden flooring, showcasing contemporary architecture and interior design. — Photography © Courtesy of N+P Arkitektur

Petry Retreat — glass walls opening the living spaces to a terrace and sea view — Photography © Courtesy of N+P Arkitektur

Interior Atmosphere & Light

Inside, daylight arrives from multiple angles. Wood ceilings, crisp joinery, and pale surfaces carry the exterior’s material calm indoors. The compact plan retains intimacy, yet the wide horizon expands each room beyond its footprint.

Petry Retreat — living room with floor-to-ceiling glazing toward the North Sea — Photography © Courtesy of N+P Arkitektur

Petry Retreat — minimalist kitchen with timber finishes and coastal outlook — Photography © Courtesy of N+P Arkitektur

Petry Retreat — dining space wrapped by glazing with views into dune landscape — Photography © Courtesy of N+P Arkitektur

Petry Retreat — corner window framing the horizon line of the North Sea — Photography © Courtesy of N+P Arkitektur

Petry Retreat — continuous timber ceiling unifying interior spaces — Photography © Courtesy of N+P Arkitektur

Petry Retreat — compact interior plan made expansive by full-height glazing — Photography © Courtesy of N+P Arkitektur

Site Strategy & Environmental Response

Orientation maximizes sea views while shielding from prevailing winds. The green roof improves thermal performance and reduces visual impact. Cross-ventilation via operable glazing limits reliance on mechanical cooling. Durable materials—thermo wood, sedum, marine-grade glazing—are calibrated for coastal resilience and low maintenance.

Petry Retreat — low silhouette merging with dune lines and native plantings — Photography © Courtesy of N+P Arkitektur

Petry Retreat — sheltered terrace niche oriented away from prevailing winds — Photography © Courtesy of N+P Arkitektur

Interior Details & Everyday Rituals

Joinery is precise and calm, enabling the landscape to take the lead. Spaces choreograph daily life—morning coffee with dune light, long table meals at sunset, and quiet reading corners that hold the horizon in view.

Petry Retreat — built-in timber joinery framing a view to dunes and sky — Photography © Courtesy of N+P Arkitektur

Petry Retreat — bedroom with large window opening to dune landscape — Photography © Courtesy of N+P Arkitektur

Petry Retreat — quiet interior corner with horizon line visible through glazing — Photography © Courtesy of N+P Arkitektur

Petry Retreat — evening light warming timber façade and terrace — Photography © Courtesy of N+P Arkitektur

Petry Retreat — coastal horizon at dusk seen from the terrace — Photography © Courtesy of N+P Arkitektur

Petry Retreat — reclaimed WWII concrete bunker repurposed as wine cellar and wood store — Photography © Courtesy of N+P Arkitektur

Petry Retreat — gentle threshold from terrace to dune grasses — Photography © Courtesy of N+P Arkitektur

Petry Retreat — protected outdoor corner with timber cladding and glass — Photography © Courtesy of N+P Arkitektur

Petry Retreat — planted roofscape aligned with dune line — Photography © Courtesy of N+P Arkitektur

A Quiet Coastal Poem in Danish Architecture

Petry Retreat distills the essence of contemporary Danish coastal design—humble in form, rich in experience. With its compact footprint, wrap-around terraces, crafted materiality, and serene spatial quality, the house feels both protected and expansive—a minimalist retreat that belongs to the dunes and the sea.