Valley villa in Vilnius by Arches

Just a few hundred meters from active city street and you can find yourself in exclusive surrounding of the park. Calm and harmony of nature. This sensation is enhanced by natural valley, the old Raguva. Sunny slope of the valley. Outskirts. Place of the former wooden farmstead. Regional park territory. Regulated architectural solution. Territory limitations for architectural expression and clients visionto live in contemporary house – these were starting points. How to harmonize all of this?

Architect: Arches
Location: Vilnius, Lithuania
Year: 2016
Area: 415 m2
Lead Architects: A.Liola, R.Liola, E.Neniškis, M.Kaucikaite, E.Geštautaite
Structural Engineers: Dainius Dubaka
Photography: Norbert Tukaj

From the architect: The object is located in sunny part of the slope next to the outskirts. It is designed in former farmstead place. Existing slope and all valuable trees in the site are preserved. The idea of the building is to ,,hang“ it over the valley and open it to the valley by continuous windows. The ground floor is partly hidden in the slope.

Due to black shale finish the ground floor disappears in outskirt shadow. Only the first floor volume, finshed with natural wood, is exibited . Laconic, sculptural form of volumes interprets the silhouette of traditional sloped house. Divided volume, varying forms, human scale proportions, glass and wood harmony creates the impression of lightness. Interior spaces follow forms of the volume.

Integral natural wood finish of the facades and roof creates impression of form solidity. The volume with its materials and coloring flourishes in forest and valley background. By dividing the volume, micro-spaces - courtyards are created. This is the building in nature. Therefore all main interior spaces have entrances into exterior spaces- courtyards.

Courtyards are arranged in different levels, creating sensation of wholeness and privacy, enabling to enjoy both morning and evening sun. The hanging volume of the first floor naturally creates the terrace. Windows of the ground floor are partly covered with the vertical wooden lamelles, they serve as protection from overheat and becomes a part of the interior. Suroundings are planted with grass, the path to the enrance is covered with granite tiles in order to minimize the intervention to the nature. The plot is surounded with the open work fence.

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