Hotel Atra Doftana | TECON

The building is situated nearby a mountain lake and is configured with two major volumes, taking advantage of the natural form of the site, which presents two major level drops intercalated with two approximately flat areas: one volume that houses the rooms and reception, and the second volume that contains living and dining spaces, the restaurant kitchen and and technical spaces, both volumes are thus articulated as to exploit at maximum the geometric configuration of the land, orientation and views the site has, considering the insertion in site and how the building creates a dialogue with the environment. The first volume, which houses the rooms is located one level below the access on site, providing on the roof the necessary platform for parking. Thus arranged, the volume is in an underground position (considering the access level), leaving intact the natural image. The second volume speculates the steep slope towards the water and is located under the first volume, conceding thus an extension of the green yard space, enabling the opening to the view of all the accomodation spaces. The building is maily finished using site-specific materials, related to functions, the accommodation is clad in wood while the living and dining zone is covered in stone at the exterior. Enviromental quality and resource efficiency Using the site form and reducing at minimum the surfaces exposed to the exterior, the energy balance will be more efficient. The site remains virtually unoccupied and can be used to carry out specific activities in the natural environment. Wanting to use renewable resources in a larger extent, the building contains along the the long buried side, throughout its length, a series of water tanks that retrieves and stores rainwater captured on the grassy terrace and reuses it for domestic water. Also, a number of solar panels are disposed on the little terace above the the technical spaces. The construction is taking advantage of the nature of the land revealing minimum of surface, the exterior skin is mainly covered in ground, except the glass surface through which you can admire the lake. Project awarded with first prize in Social-Cultural Section of the Architecture Annual 2011 Bucharest. Project awarded with first prize in Community and Production Architecture Functions Section of the Architecture Bienalle 2012 Bucharest. Project nominated in European Union Prize for Contemporary Architecture Mies van der Rohe Award 2013