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Architects: Studio VIKSNE
- Area: 197 m²
- Year: 2021
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Photographs:Madara Gritāne, Christopher Pendrich
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Manufacturers: Freimans Timber Construction, Paint Eco, RB&B Mālmeistari, Solideco
Text description provided by the architects. Located in the Latvian countryside, House Pienenītes was designed as a family home for a florist and a winemaker to spend time with the growing family, entertain guests and continue their work in a more informal setting.
Traditional timber architecture, especially the single-family farmstead typology known in Latvian as viensētas, became an inspiration both for the arrangement of the buildings and the overall architectural language. The buildings are arranged to create a variety of spaces that can accommodate different activities such as work, leisure, and greeting visitors or passers-by. Similarly to farmstead buildings, House Pienenītes is designed as a family of buildings similar in appearance.
The large pitched roofs with deep overhangs appear to be ‘hugging’ and ‘protecting’ the life inside the buildings. Rough sawn waney-edge timber cladding was used to add texture and depth and complement the clean lines of the window reveals and metal roofing. The roof overhang protects the perimeter of the building from rain and snow, creates threshold spaces that can be used for work or rest, and helps with reducing overheating at large openings.
The barn building supports a range of work-related activities - a shared workshop space for making flower arrangements and making wine, a garage, and storage for logs and garden tools.
The L-shaped house is oriented at a 45-degree angle to make the most of the sunlight throughout the day. Bedrooms are positioned to catch the morning sun and additional west-facing windows are provided in living spaces to catch the afternoon light. The plan is divided into social, sleeping, and ancillary zones. The entrance hall is located at the intersection of the two ‘wings’ and offers views across the house and garden spaces beyond.
Despite the simple building form, the interior spaces offer a variety of spatial conditions. The social spaces benefit from tall pitched ceilings and a rich palette of materials while the other spaces are relatively modest in size and finishes. A datum line was used throughout the house to establish a visual continuity and to create a balanced composition. In bedrooms, the datum line was achieved using a two-tone clay wall finish while in the kitchen and dining space the datum was created using dark stained plywood paneling at a high level which also helps to visually bring the ceiling down to create a more intimate atmosphere.
The house exploits the presence of gardens and offers a variety of views. The most special openings were introduced at the gable ends - a 3m tall window for observing stars and falling snow in the master bedroom and a fully glazed gable window in the lounge for spotting passing deer and foxes. The roof overhang can be seen from the inside, blurring the boundary between inside and outside.
The ecologically minded and energy-efficient design was at the heart of the project therefore a ‘fabric first approach was used to reduce the energy consumption. Locally sourced natural materials and products were specified to reduce embodied carbon. It was important to create buildings that, if left unoccupied, could eventually disappear into the ground without harming the environment.
For this reason, the buildings were constructed entirely in timber frames, insulated with cellulose and hemp insulation and wood fibreboard sheathing, and clad in timber boards. Internally, floors were finished in engineered oak boards or quarry tiles, and walls and ceilings were lined with locally grown and manufactured birch plywood or finished with clay. The use of plastics was consciously kept to a minimum and was only used where no alternatives were available.
