Twin Houses

Blascovici, the western district of Timisoara, still preserves a semi-rural atmosphere typical of the Banat region, with shared fronts and green squares.
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Twin Houses

Blascovici, the western district of Timisoara, still preserves a semi-rural atmosphere typical of the Banat region, with shared fronts and green squares.

In this type of setting, bordering a triangular square, two mirrored houses were built, occupying the entire width of the parcel's front. The parcel's form and the theme's requirements (two brothers, a sloped roof, withdrawal from the street) dictated the placement of the two apartments in a compact, recessed construction and the construction of a separate screen façade maintaining the alignment and height of the general cornice.

The raised basement, partially designated for technical spaces, and the need to keep the yard and living rooms at the same level to connect with the exterior through two large loggias imposed a solution with different height levels, creating oblique viewing angles and a dynamic spatial promenade.

The interior courtyard, situated in the middle of each apartment, facilitates ventilation, introduces sunlight at sunrise, and creates a free space resembling a "hidden room under the open sky."

The choice of travertine and wood defines the character of the building: travertine texture on the facades, slabs on exterior horizontal surfaces, fine travertine tiles in the bathrooms, and wood on facades, exotic wood parquet on the interior, etc.

Ultimately, the most special place, the common yard, centers around an old walnut tree and is bordered on the backside by the shared open-air kitchen. Both living rooms focus on this space through the two large intermediary spaces of the loggias – the exterior rooms.

TEAM

Architect: Vlad Gaivoronschi

Colaborator: Iulia Fratila

Location: Timisoara, Romania

Structural engineering: SC H.I. STRUCT SRL

Design period: 2009 - 2010

Building period: 2009 - 2010

Total built area: 670 sqm

Photography: Ovidiu Micșa

AWARDS

2011: Arhitext Prize - shortlisted for Residential Architecture