Between The Walls: Faced with the task of designing a house for artists in Latvia, we first got acquainted with the cultural heritage of Latvian architecture of the past. After that, we paid attention to the modern private development of the suburbs. This gave us a clear understanding of the development and character of Latvian architecture. Based on the information received, we deduced our “eclectic architectural code” which we applied in this project.
It consists of a canonical thatched roof, the use of wooden exterior trim and minimalist white stucco, which gives lightness to the whole building. The site itself, the cardinal directions, and the location of “save” points such as trees and a well impose their own design restrictions. We moved away from the original parallel arrangement of buildings and deliberately moved the Workshop so that it does not interfere with the view of the lake from the main house.
The buildings on the site were located as close as possible to each other so that access to the working area was quick and convenient. In the common house, the building was zoned in such a way that the private areas of each family are as far away from each other as possible. But at the same time, they are connected by a large, comfortable, common area. We made the main room of the workshop open, with the possibility of dividing it in the form of a screen or thick curtains. From the working space, there is an exit to the terrace to relax and admire nature and the view of the lake. From the second level, thanks to the transfer of the roof ridge, we managed to make additional lighting for the working area. Since the glazing with access to the terrace has a North direction, the upper windows are an integral functional attribute of the building. The roof from the side of the terrace is led up to the wall so that you can literally touch it and feel the connection with the distant past.
In the common area, we designed a large kitchen where 2 families can cook even in parallel and an island in order to communicate with each other. Separately placed a large dining table overlooking the courtyard. And a voluminous soft zone with sofas and a fireplace to relax nearby and spend time informally. We also made a room for food supplies, as we appreciated the closest accessibility to grocery stores.
As for personal spaces, it was decided to make them different, so that it would be possible to choose where to settle the family based on its composition. Also, due to the variety of planning solutions, we have more interesting building from the outside. Relying on the task of preserving the population of bats in this region, we placed the roofs at a large angle, which allowed us to proportionally stretch the architecture vertically and gave us the place we needed to place the bats. Since they need darkness and warmth, this is the best place to house them.
The whole intention of the appearance was to show modern, minimalist architecture with its lightness, regular lines, predictable functionality and at the same time pay tribute to the past with volumetric roofing made of natural materials and ecological finishing of facades. On the roof between two separate private areas, it is possible to have an outdoor barbecue or simply relax together or in privacy.
