house malija

LOCATION                malija, slovenia
PROJECT YEAR        2023
COMPLETION           /
TYPE                         residential
CLIENT                      private
RENDER                    matej mejak, anja bagon
TEAM                        igor marasovic, gaja brulc, valentina bordon, nike olenik

The Malija House project is a new house constructed on the partially preserved ground floor of an old dwelling located on the edge of the settlement of Malija in Izola. The existing house is set in terraced terrain, which slopes down to the north, orienting the view towards the sea.

The classically built ground floor, which is sunk into the ground, was partly preserved, while the upper prefabricated floor was completely removed. The design was based on the desire to divide the house into two parts: a smaller self-contained unit, where the investor's parents would live, and a larger unit, where the investor would live and host guests.

This was the basis on which we designed a new building on three floors: on the partially preserved and excavated ground floor, we designed service spaces for the main unit (a room that can be converted into an apartment if desired), and the parent’s unit, which is functionally and energetically separated from the main unit. On the first floor there are two bedrooms while the living room area opens up towards a spacious outdoor terrace. The loft is completely open, located above the two-storey living area and under the open gable roof.

When designing the house, we took into consideration the integration of the structure into the surrounding terrain and the open view towards the sea. Thus, the house cuts into the terraced, sloping terrain. From the upper access side, the house looks like a classic ground floor house with a gable roof. On the north side, it opens towards the ground floor and first floor terraces with large panoramic glazing.

The design of the volume and the use of materials refer to local traditions. The facade is plastered, and terracotta tiles are used on the roof. Local stone is used throughout the ground floor walls of the house and the exterior - visually integrating the building into its surroundings. A more modern element is the reinforced concrete wreath of the terrace that wraps around the building.

The house will be used occasionally and mainly for vacation purposes, and leisurely spending time in the company of guests. This dictated the design of large, open and bright interior spaces for various forms of socialising. The key was to provide comfortable and varied relaxation options, to create different atmospheres within one building. Precisely due to its special and rare use, the design dictated fewer open areas in the form of shelves and other horizontal furniture elements. The client's wish was the possibility of supplementing the interior with personal artistic elements, so the interior allows for the installation of paintings, graphics, statues and other pieces of art.