The fifth façade

The glass slab between the ground and the first floor is the core element that determines the circulation and the house division. Also, it allows natural, white light to the entrance hall on the ground floor level, which comes from the skylights above. Thus, the possible disadvantage of the 15m long hall due to the lack of natural light has been eliminated. The house has plenty of these skylights which allow light in the evening, and consequently prevents the use of prominent lighting. A large glass opening (10mx3m) has the aim to reduce the physical boundary between the inside and the outside, while bringing in the natural light. The water basin on the external dock is positioned in such a way that it allows the reflection of the sun rays onto the walls and ceiling of the central space, used throughout the day. The construction regulations required double pitched roof, thus came the idea of the fifth façade: the roof itself. The monolithic character of the façade is reinforced by the implementation of the same fiber-cement panels, for all 'five facades'. This raises the question of the actual relevance of a pitched roof that seems to be too often imposed by the building regulations. While treating the vertical and inclined façade elements in the same way, the boundaries between them are being significantly reduced, or even erased. The construction is based on a traditional frame structure with rafters and sheathing.  The metal construction is used to fix the fiber cement panels. Putting aside the architectural and aesthetic matters, we can reveal an important advantage: due to the significant height of the construction, a sort of plenum is being created, which is very well ventilated during the summer. This system prevents overheating of the structure and the rooms in the attic.