Hayrack Apartments | OFIS Arhitekti

The site is located on the edge of an alpine town called Cerklje (near Ljubljana Airport) with beautiful views of the surrounding fields and mountains. On the site edge is a protected 300 year old lime-tree. Therefore, the plan of the building is L-shaped and embraces the green area around the tree. Most of the apartments also have beautiful views due to the courtyard opening onto a view of the surrounding mountains. On the other hand the site borders towards the new shopping mole on the west side and church graveyard on the north side. Apartments are social housing type– they were sold by the Slovenian Housing Fund for young families at a price of 900 €/m2. Consequently, the budget had to be limited at 600 €/m2 and materials simple and economic. The landscape and villages in the area remained pristine with many examples of traditional architecture such as old farms, barns and hayracks. The concept of the façade is based on the traditional hayrack barn system – wooden beams following traditional details in different patterns. Traditionally farmers use the beams to store grass and corn, on the housing façade one can hold flowers or other balcony decoration. Apartments vary from 30m2 studio flats up to four room apartments of 80m2. The bigger apartments are positioned on the corners of the building and have opened corners with nicer views. The structure is developed the only structural walls in the building are used to form the shell of each apartment. All other inner walls are non-structural, meaning the floor plans are flexible. Roof tiling is made of grey eternite tiles in caro-texture that copy the traditional slate roof. The roof is pitched but cut on the ridge – where it becomes a flat roof. The pitched roof partly functions as 1m high blind which covers all the installations hidden behind – chimneys, external air conditioning, kitchen ventilation etc. The external façade is made out of plaster and wooden beam elements with different traditional patterns of the hayrack barns. technical team Structural engineering: PROJECTA d.o.o. Mechanical & electrical engineering: ISP d.o.o.