OSLW House
Architects: Dmytro Sorokevych, Vasylyna Harbar, Serhii Shtohun, Mykhailo Chyzhovskyy, Marta Yavna, Igor Vintonyak
Gross Built Area: 220m2
Location: Lviv Oblast, Ukraine
Location: Lviv Oblast, Ukraine
Photo credits: Andriy Bezuglov
ABOUT PROJECT
This is a suburban two-story house in a forest area near Lviv, Ukraine. Location is its key feature. At this place, there was a dacha with additions of different years. First, the client needed a holistic understanding of what could be done with this property and whether it would be possible to architecturally rethink the existing house.
The area looks like you are far away. You can't see the road, there's no noise, there's a forest around, big pine trees, and nearby there's an old picturesque recreation centre that everyone knows under the name "Lviv Switzerland". There is a forest lake with a decorative bridge. Previously, locals fished here, but now the citizens just come to relax on the shore in the summer.
We named the object the same because of the Swiss and their approach to nature. The natural component became a priority. Here, the site's shape is inconvenient, the relief is complex, and there are many trees. The project was challenging from this point of view, and we like complex solutions, but at the same time, it was important not to overthink. The focus was on the fact that this is a house for vacations without refined aesthetics, which does not involve permanent residence.
The highlight is a large gazebo that opens onto the main lawn. 10-15 people can comfortably stay here at the same time. There is also a swimming pool, a parking area with two entrances and a vegetable garden with raised beds.
An old apple tree, which looks straight out the window, is impossible in new constructions — only in such reconstructions. Therefore, the main goal was to successfully integrate the architecture into the natural environment and preserve the surrounding vegetation as much as possible.
EASY GOING
We expanded the old one-story cottage into a two-story house with an additional basement level. There are two bedrooms upstairs. The main space on the first floor includes a rest area, a kitchen and a terrace. In the basement, there is a guest room and a boiler room.
Replus Bureau implemented the entire complex of works with full-cycle project management, selection of contractors, tenders, construction supervising, etc. The concept was developed in consultation with various specialists, including landscape designer Lyudmyla Vorobyova.
THE JOY OF TOUCH
This house is designed to enjoy peace and nature. The environment is essential here, but the approach to materials is no less critical. We preserved the spirit of the place by using all local materials and solutions: concrete, cement, crushed stone, local stone from the village of Demnya, recycled tiles from old houses of the Austrian period on the fences, Ukrainian metal, wood, facade lined with Carpathian larch, pine pergolas, Ukrainian oak floor, oak veneer furniture, Ukrainian pine windows.
The stairwell is metal. The facade and roof are sheathed with burnt boards. This Japanese technology allows you to create a protective layer due to oil finishing. Such a board spends the winter well and looks fabulous.
The paths, at first glance, are simple. However, in reality, all concrete slabs are custom. They have built-in lighting, drainage, etc.
INTERIOR
The interior is minimalistic and monochrome. There is only wood and stone in it.
The countertop in the kitchen is custom-made from local stone. This is the author's technology of the master.
DETAILS
This project reflects well the philosophy of Replus Bureau. Everything is simple, but not everything is so simple :)
The bathroom has a stone wall with glass blocks from the local Iskra factory. These are huge pieces of glass through which light passes. This way, we built a window into the wall. The washbasin performs the function of a towel dryer. We made a custom stainless steel sink with a stand and mirror, and the entire structure is heated.
The most outstanding achievement is the staircase. It was possible to make it extremely elegant due to the skinny rod. Both children and older parents of the customer say that they are ultra comfortable and pleasant to go down and up.
The round solid, frameless window with a three-layer triplex is the largest possible size, and we adjusted the size of the stairwell to accommodate it. Huge shutters are also efficient cooperation between architects and contractors who know and understand each other's capabilities. This is the only way to project things on the edge of reality.
The soul of this house is in complex knots. We were sure the person working on the stairs could lay it out clearly on the laser and cut it down to millimetres. We poured glass blocks into the basement, and they did not crack or bend because the reinforcement was laid, the concrete mixture was correctly made, and the formwork was made of gypsum.
The Swiss approach became a kind of leitmotif. The object seems small and quite simple, but the Swiss can create practical and well-thought-out small forms, saving space and money. There are many details: stairs, built-in windows, shadow seams, smart home technologies, natural stone, burnt wood and paths.
The advantage of the house is also the vast showcases, which provide the effect of being in the middle of nature.
SUMMER HOUSE
The highlight is a large gazebo that opens onto the main lawn. 10-15 people can comfortably stay here at the same time. There is also a swimming pool, a parking area with two entrances and a vegetable garden with raised beds.
Especially we adore the outside toilet and a shower, which brings atmosphere of a warm tropical country
The pool is covered by a removable terrace, and the house is closed by shutters. Everything is thought out so that it closes like a box. This allows, in particular, to reduce of heat loss.
VINE CELLAR
The last thing to notice is that architects also made a real underground vine cellar. Brick floors accompany rustic and rough stone walls. The atmosphere is made very ascetic and calm, to really stop the time and enjoy the taste.
