BASIC INFORMATION
Project: Sparkasse House
Location: Podlipa, Vrhnika, Slovenia
Client: Sparkasse Bank
Year: 2011
Area: 175 sqm
Authors: BAAM architects, Roman Leskovec
Typology: Single-family dwelling
Photo/Viz: Blaž Jamšek, BAAM arhitekti
DESCRIPTION
The client wished to construct a passive house on the steep terrain of the Podlipa settlement, overlooking the hilly landscape.
A guiding principle of our design was to have the smallest possible impact on the natural environment, which is one of the principles of sustainable construction. Building on a terrain with a 21% slope requires a partially buried construction. In our case, we utilized all the excavated material to level the upper terrain. We created a house with two conceptually separate levels. While the upper ground level houses an office, the intimate main volume of the building is concealed beneath the terrain. This allowed us to place a smaller wooden house at the street level, thereby preserving the view of nature for passersby.
The partial burial of the building and the green roof have beneficial thermal properties as they reduce external temperature fluctuations. The southern wall is glazed for solar gains. During summer days, shading is provided by the existing deciduous trees and the cantilevered overhang of the green roof.
