Location: Bucharest Metro Area

Field: Architecture

Use: Residential

Size: 350 sqm

This was a commission for a large-sized single family home design in Bucharest’s metropolitan area, with the brief including 4 bedrooms, office space, living room, kitchen, dining room, generous storage, toilets and bathrooms, laundry room and a garage with a workshop area. Local planning regulations capped plot coverage at 35%, meaning that the build up area on the ground level could not take more than roughly a third of the plot area, while the client preferred a grounded rather than a tall building aesthetic.

This led us to a compact layout with minimal centrally positioned hallway and auxiliary (e.g., storage) areas leaving most of the surface area and access to sunlight to the primary uses, such as bedrooms, sitting rooms and office rooms. The economic layout allowed for a building design with only two main levels, thus:

  • achieving the grounded look that the client was looking for
  • maximizing access to outdoor spaces for groundfloor areas, to capitalize on the generous garden area
  • generating savings in construction cost by eliminating an extra level
  • supporting savings in utilities costs further down the line through the compact design and access to natural light

thereby striking a balance between home comfort and the quality of spaces, on the one end, and sustainable and economic design, on the other.