House in Istria | Ksenija Djordjevic

Project: House

Location: Fazana, Croatia

Area:374m2

Year of design: 2012

Year of implementation: 2014

Project team: Ksenija Djordjevic, Milan Grbic

Minimalism in historical context The 374 square meter house is located in the old Fazana, a small fisherman village in Istria. Its location is unique, because it is set along the coast of Adriatic sea, facing the famous island of Brijuni, summer residence of Josip Broz Tito, president of Yugoslavia from the glorious Communist era. The house consists of four houses, which are functionally connected, gathered around double height living room/ dining room area. The oldest house was built in 1777, and there is a Latin proverb carved in the stone above the entrance: “Recte faciendo neminem timeas.” It means: “By doing right, fear no one.” The great thing about this job, especially the reconstruction, is that there is always something to discover, something unexpected, under the layers of time. Functionally, the house is divided in two areas. Dynamic, open and more “public” area is situated on the ground floor and the first floor, and it consists of: TV room, 3 guest rooms, gym, living room, dining room, kitchen, winter garden and technical rooms. Spectacular double height space ( h=5,5m) of the living room/dining room, was created by removing a part of the second floor and it is functionally connected to the winter garden and fireplace area. Quiet and more “private” area is situated on the second and third floor and it is designed to support the needs and the lifestyle of the owners of the house. This space consists of: TV room, master bedroom with two bathrooms and walk-in wardrobes and the office. The office is connected to the rest of the house by gallery space, which provides a spectacular view to the central double height dining room/living room area. The concept of the reconstruction is to preserve the quality and the visual identity of the walls which are hundreds years old. Also the original wooden structure is replaced with the new laminated wood structure. Minimalistconcrete floors are used to create the contrast to the rustic and traditional elements of the houses in Istria. The interior design is also a mixture of traditional and contemporary furniture. The gallery like light design is created intentionally in order to emphasize the beauty of natural stone walls and the contemporary art positioned all over the house. The result is the creation of an urban house in which, in spite of the dichotomy of historical periods, there is a surprisingly balanced and harmonious atmosphere.