Lake Bled, with its church-crowned island at the centre, is the quintessential postcard image of Slovenia. Set against the dramatic Julian Alps, the historic town is distinctive for both its architecture and natural setting. It was here that Enota Architects faced the challenge of designing a contemporary residential complex that would integrate sensitively and sustainably with its surroundings. The result is the Jezero Complex: a low-carbon, high-performance timber condominium that reinterprets the local vernacular for a contemporary context.

“The combination of natural materials, wooden façades, and carefully crafted details creates a warm and comfortable interior atmosphere, while allowing the architecture to integrate subtly and respectfully into the natural landscape of Bled.”
— Enota  

Design

The zoning plan permitted a single residential block, but the architects chose a condominium complex as the residential typology—feeling that it befitted the location, which is populated predominantly by traditional Gorenjska houses. It consists of two rows of low residential units connected by shared underground parking and service areas. The two rows are connected by a central courtyard, which serves as a semi-public communal space. 

Floorplan 

The units are arranged over three levels. The ground floor accommodates living areas with expansive glazing that opens onto private gardens, the upper floors house bedrooms and the basement provides direct access to the garage.  The interiors are completed with wood, giving a warmth and richness to the contemporary spaces.

Concept 

Interested in reinterpreting the local vernacular, the architects used the traditional Gorenjska house as their starting point. These historic alpine-style homes, common across the Upper Carniola region of Slovenia, feature stone ground floors and wooden upper levels. Their gabled roofs are typically steep and completed with wooden shingles designed to handle heavy mountain snow. 

Here, this archetype is adapted to a more urban context and the requirement for denser living. The units have a low profile, are clad in vertical board wood and completed with rhythmic pitched roofs that work to differentiate each home. As the architects explain, this creates “the impression of a dispersed settlement”  that “preserves the local scale.”

Construction

The design utilises a prefabricated, solid timber construction system that eliminated the need for synthetic adhesives and chemical bonding agents. The prefabricated timber structure significantly reduces the building's embodied carbon while enabling precise off-site manufacturing, shorter construction times, and minimal on-site waste.