Shopping Roof Apartments

The initial task from the client was to build a new shopping mall on the plot of the existing one. Furthermore the new project proposed use of the shopping roof for additional volume-as new apartments. The wooden mass is located centrally in the village of Bohinjska Bistrica in the alpine area of Lake Bohinj. The village has beautiful views towards the mountains but unfortunately it was architecturally damaged in the 60s with housing blocks built around them. The organization of the housing and the envelope of the apartments open towards mountain views and the sun. Therefore the front, wooden facade is mostly transparent with panoramic windows. The side facade is closed - the windows open towards the balcony that is cut into the volume. On top of the shopping mall apartments are set in the form of stepped L-volume. >From the west strong wind and snow arrives the facade is opened only towards enclosed balconies and its material is gray slate - it is designed as a vertical roof. L-shape volume encloses inner communal garden that is the roof of the shopping mall. Wood - local larch is used and slates in diagonal pattern are traditional materials used for roof and facade.On the east and west pitched rhomboid-textured roof interpolates into vertical surfaces that protect apartments from snow and wind.

Apartments are of different sizes from 40m2 studio flats up to 120m2 apartment with gallery.The concept of structure is made by flexible floor plans since only structural walls are those, that separate apartment shell from the rest of the building. All other inner walls are nonstructural. The structure is made as combination of columns in the shopping mall area and structural walls in the area of shopping storages and services. The same structure is adapted towards the cellar, where parking is located and towards the upper floors where apartments are. The slabs are of reinforced concrete, the rest of walls are brick. Pitched roof is made as combination of flat roof at the top of the building. The purpose is to hide all installations such as chimneys, ventilation and external airconditioning.

Sustainability issues: 1. the existing roof of the shopping mall is used for additional 62 apartments; no floor spaces were used. Both shopping mall and apartments have better sustainability issues, use the same constructive and isolative material and both save more energy and function more economical. Together they create a sort of environmental economic coexistence. 2. The main finish material is made from local wood. 3. The combination of balconies and winter gardens function as constant temperature air buffer zone in front of the main living and sleeping rooms. Additional metal blinds are placed on the outer sides of the winter loggias and balconies. 4. The service and communication spaces are reduced to minimum thus the daylight is provided on the shafts. 5. The monthly basic energetic and service costs are economic for apartments as well for shopping mall.