Architects: GutGut
Location: Devín, Slovakia
Project Team: M. Dzurilla, P. Jurkovič, L. Kordík, R. Žitňanský
Site Area: 817 sqm
Built Area: 187 sqm
Total Floor Area: 230 sqm
Budget: $1,300 €/sqm
Project Year: 2006-2010
Photographs: GutGut

 

The house is located in Devín, a village near the capital Bratislava. Narrow and long parcel, a traditional historical setting in this part of Slovakia ends on a boarder of a castle Devín. House will be occupied by a senior couple. They are moving here after their children grown up and left home.

The orientation of the longitudinal axis is east – west. The client wanted a large amount of intimacy in this project so any openings along facades facing south to neighbouring plots were out of question. We decided for an introvert linear plan which opens itself just to the street, garden and inner patio. On a base level there is a single car garage and a service room. All the living areas are situated on an elevated floor connected by both interior and exterior stairs. One enters the house with a staircase along the southern facade directly to the center point of the plan. The house is organized around an inserted patio that acts as a very intimate, partial roofed outdoor area. It also guides natural sun light to the kitchen, entrance area and a master bedroom. In front of the bedroom glazing is a roofed part of the patio with a whirlpool bathtub. The living room at the western side occupies two floors including a gallery that overlooks part of the lower floor. It is resting place with a skylight for reading books and a temporary sleeping oportunity for visitors eventually.

As it is set in an historical environment with strict rules we had to design this house with sloped roofs. They are rising and descending along the longitudinal axis to various levels. The highest one is above the open space living room and kitchen and contains the mentioned gallery.

The lower level of the house is a traditional masonry construction with a reinforced concrete slab. Upper floor is a timber framework open for diffusion. Spray applied cellulose is used for thermal insulation. All the upper living floor is clad with a cement bonded particle boards with a smooth finish and color similar to aluminium metal roof. The monochromatic finish of this volume should further enhance the rather expressive look of the zigzag-shaped roofs.

Interior finishes are very simple too. All the walls are white painted plasterboard with wooden doors. Oak wood is used for floors and pine veneered board cladding for the ceilings in main areas. Ceiling in rooms follows the sloped roofs above and are painted white.