The building block designed by the G. Natkevicius & Partners studio was created from interconnected modules and built on a picturesque slope of the green Žaliakalnis district in Kaunas. The site offers a wide view of the city centre. The house was built on a small plot of land surrounded by trees growing on the slope, and right next to it is the Kaukas stairs leading to the city centre. The former villa of the Prime Minister of independent Lithuania Juozas Tubelis, now used by an art school, also stands nearby.
A house on a small plot of land and its context
The surroundings of the house are architecturally compact and are heavily influenced by nature, as the plot lies at the top of a slope. The emotional weight of the site is linked to the fact that originally the Juozas Tubelis villa was designed as a complete composition and additional buildings were not envisaged. Over time, the situation changed, a new plot of land was allocated and the architects were tasked with creating a different spatial response. The design had to respect the existing surroundings and introduce a contemporary massing without pretending to be part of the historic buildings. It was important to maintain the legibility of the original buildings and not to obscure the views from the historic villa standing above.
A building subordinate to the terrain
Due to the very varied profile of the terrain, the designers aimed for a form that penetrates deep into the plot. The building was created from small modules arranged as if they were scattered on a slope. The double and tapered walls were intended to give the impression that each segment was a separate element attached to the next. Four smaller volumes have been extracted from one larger volume, and within them the spaces intermingle and create a dynamic arrangement. A concrete façade of natural rawness was used here, whose industrial character is balanced by glass with a delicate expression.
The psychology of space in a difficult terrain
The hillside location raises challenges in terms of the perception of the house. Many people are reluctant to go into spaces located below the level of the entrance, associating them with coldness and lack of comfort. In this project, the situation is the opposite, as the roof is visible from the approach level and everyday life takes place below, as on the terrace. The house is partially sunken and supported on concrete walls. The plot itself is very narrow, but its narrow width does not limit functionality. It even has room for a small garden.
A house on a small plot of land full of energy
The location pulsates with both the energy of nature and history. The designers’ task was to create a house that would set a special mood and have an individual character. The building had to give the impression of space beyond the standard perception of form. A major challenge was to lower the house in such a way that, from the interior, the presence of the ground behind was not felt. The idea was to achieve comfort and a sense of security and to open up the view of the skyline, which includes the landscape, the landforms and the city centre.
The interior as a development of the external form
The composition of the massing became the basis for the interior scenario. Differentiated levels and a dynamic layout are repeated inside. Observing the external volumes, one can see their continuation in the living space. Entering the interior, the user experiences successive sequences: a low zone, then a high space with a vertical character, after which the whole goes into further densities and openings. This layout allowed for a wide viewing frame, which plays a key role in this project.
Project: G. Natkevicius & Partners
Location: Kaunas, Lithuania
Area: 289 sq m.
Photography: Lukas Mykolaitis
Also read: single-family house | Lithuania | Minimalism | Concrete | Glass | whiteMAD on Instagram
