The proximity of the forest was crucial for the investors not only when purchasing the land but also for the project itself. The house by the forest promptly became our top project for various reasons.
The presence of the forest brings not only a beautiful natural scenery but also a protected zone (in our case, 10 meters) where no construction can be placed. The protected zone defined the sloping shape of all floors and became a part of the house design.
The investor’s requirement was to design a house that not only blends in with the natural character of the location but also allows for views of the forest and landscape from the living room, while maintaining maximum privacy when looking from the western boundary of the plot (where the house is adjacent to a single neighbor).
The plot and its connection to the forest protection zone gave us an interesting impulse to move away from the rectangular plan layout. The oblique direction of the zone is almost parallel to the north-south directional axis. This resulted in a sophisticated floor plan built on regular scythe polygons. The acute angle thus produced in the plan (say 70 degrees for simplicity) is neither too much nor too little acute. It differs from the classical right angle by only 20 degrees.
We designed the house on three floors, which also define the individual living zones. The first underground floor is connected to the driveway with a spacious garage, main entrance, technical facilities and a smaller spa.
This creates a system of vertical communications between floors, terraces visually open to the landscape, vegetation areas almost in the living room and a private space functionally connected directly to the main living areas.
On the first above-ground floor, you will find the daytime living area of the house, featuring a spacious living room with large windows overlooking the forest and smaller windows facing the terrace with a swimming pool. Above a section of the terrace, there is a cantilevered structure of the second above-ground floor, creating a naturally covered outdoor seating area.
The second above-ground floor accommodates the parents’ zone, children’s rooms, and a study. All three floors are connected to the adjacent terrain through terraces and outdoor living areas, maximizing the integration of the house with the garden and creating a continuous circulation.
In the end, a combination of handsome concrete, plants and darker wood combined with aluminium windows won out.
The concrete, which is based on silicate components, sand and aggregate (gravel) brings in natural elements of minerals and stone. As its texture changes over time, the design will connect more and more with nature. We think that concrete is a material that can age nicely. And with its longevity, it will also take time.
Wood has been a basic building material for many centuries. With new technologies, its function and use have changed somewhat and we use it here as a decorative element.
The static function of timber is no longer fulfilled as often, especially not in new buildings. The opposite is of course the case with timber buildings, renovations and some new buildings, where the timber truss and the admitted static elements made of wood are the supporting element of the whole design.
The third pillar of the material solution is vegetation. Plants are subtle, living and complex elements. The terracing of the building and the light exposure gave us a lot of space to work with vegetation. The idea is to use the terraces and use linear beds built in as part of the railings to cover the ledges and areas below with climbing and creeping species.
This gives the building a texture that nothing else can replicate. Changing with the seasons, moving in the wind, fresh in spring… A living green facade is an element that can only be created with the help of plants.
