architecture

Meet the Slovenian aluminium house

In this hillside house in Slovenia, aluminium is the key design element.
9 January, 2016
Just an hour's drive from Ljubljana, the Slovenia capital, is a holiday home with spectacular views, set like a jewel in the mountainous terrain of the Julian Alps.
The 180 square meter home is the creation of architects Jernej Prijon and Vid Razinger with the Prima firm, who began the project with two gabled blocks. They are joined by a canopy to create a housing foundation nestled into the steep hillside, above a clustered community of existing homes in the village of Kranjska Gora.

In doing so, the architects determined the first energy-efficient feature of the home because the home and the unheated garage are separated. The next decision was to position the living spaces and open the view to the south, using a glass wall to protect the unobstructed views of craggy mountains and alpine trees – yet at the same time, the Prima team ensured that the south-facing sun and wind patterns keep the home as environmentally aligned as possible.
Image: Leibal
The same consideration is reflected in construction material choices that rely on aluminium cladding to stand up to the elements. The exterior of both the three-bedroom home and the garage are clad in larch wood and dark aluminium panels; the aluminium also frames the glass wall facing the mountains. The same exterior cladding makes a perfect match on the detached garage and storage space to the side.

The building is a second home for a family of five, so the ground floor is designed as a single space that works like a hub to connect the entire house in all directions, with the seven-meter glass wall framing the mountains as the centerpiece. A heated wooden bench runs the length of the spcae, and adds to the visual framing by removing from the interior view the roofs and housetops further down the hillside. A balcony extends along the length of the house and adds to the connection between nature and home, which is reflected inside by the wood paneling and flooring that extends even into the bathroom décor. In fact, a light fixture in the main room is so carefully integrated into the space that the wood grain on that fixture, suspended from the ceiling above a dining table, aligns perfectly with the wall behind it.
Images: Leibal
That touch is consistent with some of the other design features that seek a meticulous perfection. The reinforced concrete support beam above the glass wall is hidden from view within the ceiling space, so that a sweeping view of the mountains remains uninterrupted by any beam blocking the peaks. The architects note that smaller, more secluded exterior spaces like the balcony or terrace, which are accessed by one of the two exit doors, can be used depending on the season, weather and time of day.

The master bedroom is on the top floor, facing the mountains with a triangular window filling the wall. A second bedroom is on the same floor, while the third is designed into the basement. The holiday home is the perfect summer or skiing getaway -- Kranjska Gora is located in the heart of ski country – and this wood and aluminium-clad home is designed to be the perfect fit for the mountains of Slovenia that it rests within.
Banner image: Leibal