The region of Karst was once covered with Oak trees that Venetians have extensively used for building up the City on water. They have left the wind to peel off earth revealing limestone grounds. In this landscape the tradition of small, compact, stony and almost windowless houses developed and remained until today.

Following this tradition determined the design of small compact stony house corresponding to the needs of the young family and current technological principles. Redefinition of traditional stony Karst house led to the concept of proto-house as compact, stony, pitched roof volume for contemporary countryside living in this region. The house is conceived as monolithic volume with two inserted wooden volumes connected with interim landing.

Ground floor operates mostly as public or semi-public space with multiple grand landscape views as on the other hand the upper floor stands very private with sky views only. The space is divided with two inserted wooden volumes which in ground floor contain kitchen with dining or bathroom and in the upper floor master bedroom and children’s room. House in a house concept allow each bedroom to perform as primarily wooden pitched house, where one literally feels like sleeping in his own (symbolic) house and not a room. The bridge connecting both houses acts as playroom.

The house has three large square windows which open views towards hilltop church in Italy to the west, forest to the south and entrance platform to the east. The redefinition of traditional stony Karst roof, with its texture, colour, material and its steep inclination is executed as contemporary concrete interpretation with intense technological ingenuity. Materially inseparable connection between the facade and the roof is key allusion to the image of traditional Karst village.

The design of the house addresses the relationship between contemporary and tradition, it opens up the question about the characteristics of anonymous traditional built architecture from which it originates and simultaneously establishes the relationship between contemporary interpretation and traditionally conditional domain of synthesis.

ROOTED IN THE REGION
It does not happen every day that a mock-up of a house becomes an acclaimed and awarded project on its own. That is the history of the Compact Karst House, named after the region on the border of Slovenia and Italy.

The Compact Karst House is a prototype of the initially planned home: the first project the client ordered with Dekleva Gregorič has had a vast programme, with all the rooms one would expect in a single-family residence. Because of other investments and the 2008 crisis, the construction of the large house has been delayed. The client followed the architects' idea to construct a mock-up for testing the materials as a temporary residence on the corner of the site. After ten years, the client-designer team, which has realised more than one successful project, proceeds with a new project for the large house, satisfied with the tested ideas, with heads full of innovative ideas on the optimal use of space.

Dekleva Gregorič, an internationally renowned and acclaimed office, is rooted in the region of Karst; it is where Aljoša Dekleva grew up. A profound knowledge of the building typologies of the area, combined with an innovative approach, resulted in an award-winning piece of architecture. The Compact Karst House has been nominated in 2015 to represent Slovenia in Mies van der Rohe Award and has received much publicity.

On 300 square meters of land, thought initially to be an extension of the garden, a tiny house, with 60sqm on the ground floor and a half of it in the attic, with an innovative space programme has been built. 

"The Karst region spans across the Slovenian-Italian border which has always been open for the local inhabitants. The influences were always strong: as Venetians used virtually all the region's oak trees to build their City, persistent erosion left the landscape bare, with only limestone left as building material. Traditional houses were made entirely out of stone becoming small built manifestos of mono-materiality. With contemporary architectural approach we did not want to repeat the historical ways of building - instead we set out to explore tradition's transformation apt for today."

Aljoša Dekleva, Dekleva Gregorič Architects

NEW SOLUTIONS 

"As we were building a "sample house", we were free to experiment with the distribution of functions and the size of individual spaces. We often test new ideas in small houses to translate them later in collective housing projects. Tina and I were exploring the topic of housing for years, starting with our collective master thesis at the Architectural Association in London titled "Negotiate My Boundary!", where we have addressed mass-customisation in collective housing, responsive environments and the importance of the human body ergonomics - which played a role in spatially modest Karst house accommodating a family of four." 

Aljoša Dekleva, Dekleva Gregorič Architects

LIGHT INSIDE THE VOLUME 
European historical farmhouses are usually very introverted, with small windows letting only a minimum of daylight to the interior to keep the interiors warm during the cold months and perhaps to create a cosy world within walls for farmers tired of working on their fields.

Dekleva Gregorič used this spatial feature also in other projects. They have collaborated with VELUX on several occasions including on the XXS House, where roof windows play a crucial role in the concept. In general – the roofs are essential in Dekleva Gregorič's architecture, as according to the architects, they are the essential element defining an object's identity. Anything concerning the top – choice of material, chimneys, and the position, size and the make of roof windows shall be designed with great care.

"The bedrooms are tiny private shelters with VELUX windows only and the walls are used for cabinetry. I think it's important in such an intimate space to forget the surroundings and only contemplate the most abstract form of nature: the sky - and thus connect with the universe." 

Aljoša Dekleva, Dekleva Gregorič Architects

"It was crucial to integrate the roof windows with the rest of architectural elements: they align with the walls, so the light washes the vertical surface to the floor. Although the bedrooms are very small - typological mini version of the house - the inner spaces appear larger due to the zenithal daylight flooding in." 

Aljoša Dekleva, Dekleva Gregorič Architect

"Inserting plentiful daylight in the middle of the house's volume contributes largely to the quality of the space. It can be a small atrium, a slit on roof's ridge or a roof window. Daylight provides both, materials to show their nature and users to enjoy the space." 
Aljoša Dekleva, Dekleva Gregorič Architect