MASLINICA - Umbau

• Revitaliserung
• Süd
• Wohnen

The estate Maslinica is named after a small bay, located west of the city Stari Grad on the island Hvar. Terraced fields with olive trees, a rich vegetation and dispersed stone structures create a complex topography, in which landscape and building elements merge. The difference between inside and outside and between habitable and inhabitable structures is blurry.

The client desired a sensitive placement of the programme in the topography that continuous writing the ambiguity of the site. Hence, the scale of the interventions ranges from small scale (e.g. placement of steps in the topography to access certain areas) to mid scale (the insertion of functional elements (e.g. pizza oven or garden shower) in old stone structures) and large scale (the full-scale reconstruction of the main house).

The main house consists of two residential floors and a konoba at the souterrain. The konoba retains its historic flexibility and can be used for parties, workshops or wellness. A large fireplace creates the right atmosphere. Clinker bricks on the floor embody this historic flexibility at a material level. The residential floors combine functionality and flexibility. A functional first floor with the kitchen and guest rooms is topped by a generous loft-like attic space. Wood and terrazzo determine the space as the finishing material.

The atelier building is extended by a large, oriel like fair-faced concrete structure to bring light into the space and to provide a view into the bay. Concrete, clinker and wood determine the space as the finishing material.

The historic simplicity in terms of construction and materialisation was maintained throughout the reconstruction process. Ground level floors (expanded clay and clinker) can absorb and release moisture. These floors are constructed without hydro-insulation. Internal construction elements (bearing elements, insulation material and flooring) are made of wood and cement boards. Walls are plastered with a porous lime-based mortar that enables the evaporation and diffusion of moisture. No PVC was used in the complete reconstruction process.

The estate is powered by a solar heating system and a solar photovoltaic system. During winter, a wood stove provides additional warm water for domestic use and the floor heating system. A plant based and electroless waste water treatment system releases the purified water back into the topography. Rain water is collected in two cisterns. It is used for the irrigation system. The complete estate is off-grid, in terms of infrastructure but also as compared to the currently prevailing building industry in the region.