Type
housing

Source
project commission

Client
private client

Address/Site
Vinjole, Portorož

Total floor area
345 m2

Structure
reinforced concrete, steel

Cladding
local stone, glass facade

Architect
SADAR+VUGA (Jurij Sadar, Boštjan Vuga, Miha Čebulj, Jure Hrovat, Stavros Gargaretas, Andreas Cesarini)

The design of Vinjole House consists of a synergy that makes use of traditional construction techniques and the use of local materials, together with a contemporary sustainable approach. The house is located and orientated in such a way that maximises upon the supreme characteristics of the site such as relief, climate and ecological aspects.

The house is sited upon descending ground and thus hidden from the road on the north side by a stone wall. Conversely the building orients and opens itself to the South side and West towards the sea. Due to the natural plummeting of the ground on site, the north side of the house is constructed as a pavilion with stone walls, highlighted with green horizontal surfaces which follow the naturally occurring contour lines of the exterior terrain, softly unifying the structure of the house with the external context that surrounds it. The south side of the house reveals two storeys with glazed surfaces that open out towards the sea. Solid stone walls continue into the roof and determine the individual rooms inside the building. The House takes full advantage of its surroundings in utilizing orientation, exposure to sunlight, wind, and views and at the same time adapting to the natural conditions of the site. Stone walls are the main characteristic of the house.

The plan of the house was designed in such a way to meet the client’s requirements to spend most of their time outdoors. Therefore the interior spaces are arranged in accordance with the client’s needs and varying temperatures at different times of day and months of the year. The user may therefore begin their day on the eastern terrace for example, and during peak times or summer month’s move to a living room connected to a colder north facing atrium providing shelter from the heat. The western terrace is connected to a library which may be used during afternoons or early evenings for example.