Umbra – A Study of Light, Shelter, and Domestic Space

Idea projektu

The project Umbra is a study of a single-family house situated in Rovinka, a suburban area near Bratislava characterized by dense residential development. The core idea stems from the need to find a spatial and architectural balance between openness toward nature and the necessity of privacy in a visually exposed urban context. The concept is rooted in the tension between mass and void, light and shadow, roughness and refinement. The architectural expression is deliberately compact and monolithic, formed from raw concrete. However, this mass is carefully articulated through vertical concrete fins that do not contribute structurally to the volume, but act as ornamental filters that shield the interior from neighboring views. Rather than closing itself off, the house filters its surroundings with precision. Access is provided indirectly through a garage that connects seamlessly with the interior. This enables the main façade to remain visually pure while offering a fluid threshold between outside and inside. The layout is structured to foster continuity between functions — from the foyer to the living room and the private garden — promoting clarity of circulation and strong relationships across spaces. A key architectural theme is the manipulation of daylight. Through cantilevered slabs, deep reveals, and the orientation of spaces, light is modulated to ensure thermal comfort while enhancing spatial experience. Interior elements such as the inserted staircase and exposed timber rafters further reinforce the depth and rhythm of the space. The garden, with its stone paving and evergreen vegetation, complements the raw architecture with a soft, meditative character. It acts as a green interior, offering intimacy and seclusion. Details in dark steel — railings, gates, frames — provide a tactile counterpoint to the concrete, underscoring craftsmanship and scale. The house is titled Umbra — Latin for "shadow" — not as a metaphor, but as a guiding principle. In this project, shadow is an active design tool: it protects, defines, and enriches. The ultimate goal of the project is to demonstrate that in compact suburban conditions, it is possible to create a spatially generous and emotionally resonant home by engaging with simple materials, precise details, and the expressive power of light and shadow.

Popis projektu

The house is situated on a narrow rectangular plot in the suburban village of Rovinka, Slovakia. Surrounded by dense development, the project responds with a compact, inward-oriented massing and a clear spatial organization that prioritizes privacy, light, and functional clarity. The volume is placed along the northern edge of the site, creating a generous garden space to the south and southwest. The layout is structured across two floors. The ground floor functions as a fluid sequence of semi-public and shared spaces: garage, workshop, entrance foyer, kitchen, and living room. These areas are interconnected but clearly zoned, allowing for both visual openness and moments of retreat. A central axis leads from the entry through the living space directly into the garden, visually extending the interior into the landscape. Sliding glass walls and covered terraces support this continuity while regulating exposure to sun and views. Deep overhangs and vertical fins provide passive solar shading and define the building’s exterior expression. On the upper level, the program becomes more intimate. Bedrooms are organized around an open corridor with exposed roof structure, creating a dynamic and atmospheric interior. The placement of windows is carefully controlled to maintain privacy and frame selected views toward the treetops and sky. Architecturally, the project works with a reduced palette of materials — primarily exposed concrete and dark metal — used in a precise and restrained manner. The structural and expressive roles of concrete are inseparable: it defines the form, the space, and the tactile experience of the house. Minimal details, robust finishes, and a calm spatial rhythm all contribute to a timeless, meditative quality of the interior. The outdoor spaces are not secondary; they are an extension of the architectural idea. A stone-paved courtyard with evergreen trees acts as a living room without a roof, while the openings in the building’s envelope are choreographed to bring in changing light and maintain a strong connection to the seasons. The house does not impose itself on its surroundings — instead, it creates a world of its own, quiet and deliberate.

Technické informácie

The house is designed as a two-storey structure with a compact rectangular footprint and a flat roof. Its primary construction system consists of cast-in-place reinforced concrete walls and slabs, which remain exposed in both exterior and interior. The use of untreated concrete as the main material reflects the conceptual idea of rawness and permanence, while allowing precise formal and spatial articulation. The building rests on a concrete slab foundation, and the vertical load-bearing system is formed by massive perimeter and internal walls, with floor slabs spanning between them. The southern façade is equipped with a system of cantilevered concrete slabs, which provide solar protection by shading the interior spaces during the summer while allowing ample daylight in during colder seasons. On the northern façade, vertical concrete fins serve as a visual barrier, filtering views from neighboring properties and ensuring privacy without contributing to the building’s structural system. Windows are deeply recessed and fitted with slim dark frames that harmonize in both material and color with the metalwork detailing, maintaining a cohesive architectural expression while supporting thermal performance. The internal organization is defined by a central corridor with exposed concrete rafters, which are a direct extension of the monolithic roof slab. These elements introduce visual rhythm and emphasize the tectonic logic of the structure. The staircase is slender and embedded into the wall, forming a sculptural element that casts shifting shadows on the rear wall of the living room. Although visually light, the stair core structurally anchors the two levels and subtly delineates private and communal areas. Underfloor heating and the thermal mass of concrete contribute to the passive energy strategy, enhanced by natural cross-ventilation through operable windows. Dark metal details — railings, doors, and frames — are crafted with precision and contrast against the concrete, introducing scale and material subtlety. Rainwater is managed through integrated linear drainage around the perimeter and concealed roof outlets. The surrounding garden is enclosed by a dark steel fence that matches the finish of the metalwork details, creating a unified material expression. Irregular stone paving reinforces the continuity between interior and exterior surfaces, emphasizing the raw yet refined character of the architecture.