Context of the location

The plot where the buildings are located is situated in the new part of the village of Milin. Milin is a former German village. The development in the new part of the village is quite diverse in terms of style and building forms. In contrast, the old part has a more cohesive architectural character, dominated by former German buildings, some of which have heritage status. Analyzing the existing structures reveals the principles that guided the design of buildings and farmyards when these homesteads were originally established.

Building form

The newly designed buildings reference the form and massing of the local architecture. They feature two residential floors and an unused attic space, topped with a gable roof without eaves, finished with flat gray roof tiles. The gable walls face the public road. The main residential volumes are set apart but visually connected by a single-story structure, above which a terrace has been designed. This lower structure houses garages, utility rooms, and saunas.

The paved area in front of the buildings is reminiscent of traditional farm courtyards, serving both pedestrian and vehicular movement, including parking and access to the garages. Two parking spaces are provided—one for each building.

The new development respects the historical spatial composition in its layout, scale, massing, and color scheme, harmonizing with the local built environment. The façades are finished with natural materials traditionally used in the region, such as light-toned wood (applied vertically on the ground floor) and white plaster on the upper levels. The window frames match the light wood tone of the ground-floor cladding. Garage doors and entrance doors are finished in a gray shade, similar to the roof tiles.

Technology

The buildings were designed with the principles of sustainable development in mind. A hybrid wooden structure – prefabricated and traditional framing – was chosen for the construction. Materials with a low carbon footprint, which are recyclable, were selected for the building. A rainwater harvesting system was incorporated into the design. Modern technologies were utilized, including an air-to-water heat pump and photovoltaic panels, to optimize energy consumption. Large windows were designed to maximize natural light, while ensuring thermal and acoustic insulation, to provide optimal thermal and acoustic comfort.

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