Villa Criss Cross Envelop

Location: Lubiana, Slovenia

Product:

Oak Invisible Touch

Collection: Classica

Architects: Ofisarhitekti

Year: 2015

parquet rovere naturale chiaro
parquet rovere naturale chiaro

Villa Criss Cross is located in the Mirje Suburbs within the city center of Ljubljana, Slovenia. The street of the villa runs perpendicular to the ancient Roman Wall and continues into a pedestrian passageway under the stone pyramid designed by Plecnik (as part of his reconstruction project along the wall). The Villa’s new structure embeds an existing retaining wall along the street front. By incorporating the wall as part of the new construction, the new house maintains its original position on this street in an axial alignment to the pyramid.

The external structure is composed of a cube volume and perforated metal envelope. The volume extracts cut-outs to create pockets of space that provide a pyramid stepping down along the roof, a void along the entrance and private glass patios with terraces for living areas of the house. Using a material with holes on both sides conveys an abstract interpretation of the texture of classical villas of this historical suburb.

The rough classical façade was represented with double perforated panels; the task was to achieve texture through the illusion of depth which allows the presence of light and enhances the shadows and reflections off a palette of beige hues. The three-dimensional texture creates a dynamic abstraction while encapsulating its coherent volume. Diagonal crosses act as a functional and graphic representation. The crosses brace the frames of panels and create identity just like façade ornaments on historical residential villas.

Villa Criss Cross

The internal volume embodies two elements: exposed structural concrete walls and a wooden shell.
The project was to create a residence for a single family with three children. The aim was to maximize the living area and minimise the service space. The concept divides space based on a distinct programme of separating function not by walls but floor levels: ground floor is living/communal space, first floor is the children’s area and second floor parents’ area. With no cellar, the shell is integral to provide all of the space for storage.

The flush walls fold out to house cupboards, shelves and drawers throughout the living areas and furniture such as beds, seating and counters are built into the floor in order to optimize space and provide easy maintenance. This connects different spaces in the house by giving a common function to partitions.

Villa Criss Cross
hardwood floor