Author:
Saša Randić

Team members:
Margita Grubiša, Janja Zovko, Mario Furčić, Nikola Škarić, Andrija Čuljak

Construction consultant:
Saša Mitrović

Location:
Zagreb, Croatia

Area: 500 m²

Year designed:
2009.

Status:
completed in 2011.

The building is located in Zagreb, in a residential area from the early 20^th century. The area is a park with inserted houses, while the lot itself is located at a prominent place, the structure’s perimeters facing the city park. The villas have characteristic features in line with the then social etiquette: introverted, of simple geometry, devoid of any excessive ornaments. The program is atypical for contemporary housing production in Croatia, even though it played an important role in the past. The beginning of the Modern period in Croatia is also connected to the typology of urban villas. As in the buildings of the former period, the villas were once again unobtrusive in shape and oriented towards interior intimacy.

The project aims to reinterpret models of Zagreb villas. The building is a compact, simple volume with openings in the concrete membranes thus framing the surrounding green spaces.  The house’s interior follows the program’s logic and the user’s particular requests: the building is intended for a family of three. The ground floor and basement are comprised of common rooms: the entrance hall and living spaces follow the topography of the terrain, while a concealed indoor swimming pool is situated in the basement underneath it all. Two separate private units with bedrooms share a common central space on the upstairs landing. The building developed as a result of a collaborative process with its owner, and wasn’t brought to an end with the completion of the project but continued all through the construction phase.