W House

This wooden family residence, set within a dense urban fabric, occupies an irregular plot. Site constraints inspire a design that balances private space with public connectivity, defining modern residential norms. Embracing the Baltic focus on intimate communities and a Scandinavian vision of fluid indoor-outdoor flow, the home dissolves boundaries between interior design and landscape to create a unified, cohesive living space. House is highly energy efficient, and sensitive towards its surroundings.

The unconventional volume of this residential house is not a whim of the architect, but a response to the specific constraints of the plot. The shape of the small 640 sqm parcel of land combined with large trees was so complex that it would have otherwise remained unused, but thanks to the persistent approach, methodically and cleverly combining the necessary indoor and outdoor spaces within the building regulations, the family has gained a comfortable and practical gem of urban architecture. It seemed almost impossible to ensure the privacy of the family house in such a dense urban setting. However, it was achieved by restrained facades towards the street, deep bay windows for bedrooms, storage room towards neighboring plot and a concrete fence supporting outdoor kitchen on terrace. Meanwhile, indoors ensures transparency and fluidity of the spaces. Livingroom and corridors relate to the terrace, kitchen and sports area, while bedrooms are isolated and more private in upper floor.

The house is built almost entirely of wood — a traditional Latvian material. The façade is clad in charcoal-burned boards fixed with wooden nails, making it fully recyclable. Interiors combine white walls with natural oak floors, while large timber windows frame the surrounding greenery. A signature element is 8m long V-shaped window spanning without supports. The whole building is under one double pitched roof — a familiar typology reinterpreted. The owners are keen lovers of active lifestyle in nature. Thus, their home also had to be ecofriendly. To protect the roots of nearby trees the house is built on several dozens of micropiles. The building is highly energy efficient due to the quality of construction, thick thermal insulation, heat recovery and the clever orientation of the rooms and windows towards the sun. Maintenance costs of this 240sqm house are like an 80 sqm apartment in a historical house in Riga.