Y House by MMXX architects; Bulgaria

Y House is a single-family residence with striking views of Rila Mountain, located in the town of Samokov. Designed as a modern interpretation of the typical village house, the project is a double-story rectangular volume with a gable roof. It is carefully placed as a freestanding object inside a grassy courtyard.

Individual façade elements: windows, doors, loggias and wall finishes, stand out against the volume of the single geometric shape. The materiality of Y House draws inspiration from the rustic village house. The bottom half is clad in heavy thick stone forming a solid connection with the site. The stone walls extend to form the railing for the loggias above. The second floor is slightly set back and finished in wood planks, which creates a sense of layering and separation of the two planes. A standing seam metal roof with oversized eaves provides protection from the elements in winter and shade in summer.

The choice of structure mirrors the different treatment of the top and bottom of the facade: the bottom story has a monolithic reinforced concrete structure, while the top features a lighter steel structure. The latter allows for the large cantilevered eaves over the terraces and loggias. The blurred boundary between inside and outside is reinforced by the use of materials that cross from the exterior to the interior. Wood is a recurring motif and the stair railings echo the rhythm of the facade’s wood slats, while an indoor-outdoor fireplace brings the stone cladding into the main living space.

Text provided by the architects.