The site of this house lies 1400 meters up, overlooking the lake of Batak, where temperatures vary from 40 degrees centigrade down to minus 20. For much of the year the house is overshadowed by tall trees behind it further up the 1:5 gradient of the hill (the house needed to be placed up high next to the forest edge to gain long views over the top of the trees in front). These two factors suggested the building’s form – bedrooms and bathrooms underground to moderate the temperature, with a tall living area (massively insulated) to allow solar panels to be up above the tree shadows. The latter section is clad in charred spruce so that visually it blends into the forest behind.
About the authors:
Simon Gill Architects is an internationally published practice established in 1997. Since then we have completed many projects including residential, commercial, retail, ecclesiastical and also gardens. We aspire to creating thoughtful, bespoke buildings that provide convenience and delight whilst responding well to their context. We listen carefully to our clients to ascertain their needs and budget and then set out to surpass their expectations – to create a bespoke building which will fit their requirements exactly.
FILE
Authors: Simon Gill Architects
Client: The Petkova Family
Photos: Mike Daines
Location: Batak, Bulgaria
Year of completion: 2014
Total area: 300 m²
Text provided by the authors of the project.