The Slovak village of Námestovo, located on the shores of Lake Orava, is famous for its beautiful views of the High Tatras. It was in this picturesque area, on the slope of a steep plot, that the architects of {tag:pracownie} designed a single-family house, taking full advantage of the advantages of the mountainous terrain.
The house, located on a sloping plot of land in the higher elevations, provides a view of Lake Orava and the High Tatra Mountains. The terrain on which it was built is characterized by a steep slope - the difference in level at the highest and lowest points of the plot, reaches as much as seven meters. The access road, on the other hand, runs in its upper part. The unusual layout of the plot in relation to the road gave the architects unusual design possibilities.
The house is inscribed into the slope of the plot
© Z3Z ARCHITEKCI
inverted zones
The garage and the entrance to the house have been located at the level of the road, and the living area with kitchen, dining room and terrace, as well as the master bedroom, are located there. Unlike most single-family homes, the other bedrooms, a recreation room and a second terrace are located on level -1, from which residents have direct access to the garden. The first floor of the building was allocated by the architects for a guest room with a bathroom and a study for the master of the house. This room towers over the city and the whole building, you can see from it, even closer to Babia Gora.
From the road side, the facade is very compact and closed
© Z3Z ARCHITECTS
lots of light and privacy
Optimal sunlight in the rooms was also a challenge for the architects. The magnificent views, to which the house should open with the largest glazing, are on the east side. For the bedroom, this may be a good direction, but for the living area, not necessarily anymore. Therefore, in order to provide daylight in this area, as well as to maintain privacy from the road, narrow glazings at the ceiling were used, running the entire length of the living area. These let in a lot of sunlight, while keeping the interiors unexposed to passersby.
The top floor is dedicated to the study, which offers views of the mountains
© Z3Z ARCHITEKCI
Dobrawa Bies: The house you designed has an interesting cubic body. What were the assumptions and design inspirations?
Z3Z ARCHITECTS: We wanted, as with most of our projects, for the form of the building to derive from its function. Hence, the front is very compact and closed - it stands next to the road itself. At the same time, the assumption was that there would be no or minimal fencing. The front of the house is placed on the west side, so we had to make glazing in it to illuminate the interior of the house. These glazings are high enough that no one from the street will look through them, and they go through the entire living area of the house and illuminate it well. The wooden mass ing emphasizes the smaller floor and the communication core between the floors of the house. The canopies and overhangs of the white block, give shade to the rooms of the house and shield the windows from the rain.
Large glazings bring light into the interiors
© Z3Z ARCHITECTS
Dobrawa: What requirements did the developer set for you?
Z3Z ARCHITECTS: The investor is a Slovakian living near the border with Poland. His requirement was to create a more interesting block using the qualities and limitations of the plot. Mainly - the beautiful view, the slope and its triangular shape.
Dobrawa: What posed the greatest design difficulty for you, and what are you most satisfied with?
Z3Z ARCHITECTS: Definitely the biggest design difficulty, but also a great, unusual task was designing in another country. A lot of help was provided by the investor, who helped translate the project for the Slovakian office. We are also very pleased with how well the building and its functions were incorporated into the slope.
Dobrawa: Thank you for the interview.
