Dezeen Magazine

Plural completes plastic-clad house in Slovakia with inner and outer layers

A small pool is slotted between the inner and outer layers of this house near Bratislava, which was designed according to Italian Renaissance principles by local firm Plural (+ slideshow).

Plural designed the 300-square-metre family home for a residential neighbourhood in Bernolákovo, northeast of the Slovakian capital.

Plural builds House in a House in Slovakia

Called House in a House, the property was designed to include both an inner and an outer layer, giving residents a mix of enclosed and open-air spaces within the building.

Plural builds House in a House in Slovakia

Traditional rooms are located within the inner section of the building, while the outer section accommodates the pool, as well as bicycle and car parking areas, a dining terrace and a few planting spaces.

These are all contained behind a screen of translucent, corrugated polycarbonate plastic, allowing daylight to filter through.

Plural builds House in a House in Slovakia

Plural designed the interior of the house to follow the principles set out by Italian Renaissance architect Andrea Palladio for the design of his Veneto villas, which include the iconic Villa La Rotonda and Villa Foscari.

All of these villas were based around a square grid divided up into nine sections. House in a House follows the same pattern.

Plural builds House in a House in Slovakia

"The house itself is divided into two concentric parts – the inner and the outer," said architect Michal Janák.

"The inner part is comprised of basic dwelling components and laid out on a Palladian three-by-three grid," he continued.

Plural builds House in a House in Slovakia

"The outer part consists of the additional programme – patios of different size and proportion, garage, pool and storage," he added.

"It forms an in-between space, neither a house, nor a garden. It serves as a mediator between both of them."

Plural builds House in a House in Slovakia

Living spaces run through the central spaces of the building. The kitchen is at one end, the lounge is at the other, and the dining space sits in between.

Plural builds House in a House in Slovakia

The three rooms along the southern side of the grid provide a pair of bedrooms and a shared en-suite bathroom. The same goes for the northern side, except one of of the bedrooms is replaced by a second lounge.

Plural builds House in a House in Slovakia

As with the exterior, finishes are kept simple inside the building to keep the project within budget. Concrete-block walls are painted white, floors are concrete and plywood boards provide partitions.

Plural builds House in a House in Slovakia

Other recent examples of contemporary houses in Slovakia include a lake house with sleeping platforms and colourful furniture, and a barn-inspired residence.

Photography is by Daniela Dostálková.


Project credits:

Architect: Plural
Landscape: LABAK
Structural engineer: Geostat, Samuel Šimonovič
Custom interior objects design: L'ubica Segečová

Plural builds House in a House in Slovakia
Site plan – click for larger image
Plural builds House in a House in Slovakia
Ground floor plan – click for larger image
Plural builds House in a House in Slovakia
Long section – click for larger image
Plural builds House in a House in Slovakia
Cross section – click for larger image