VATRA

VATRA is a mixed-use building proposal situated in the beautiful landscape of the rural area of Transylvania. These areas of Romania are untouched by urbanization, they are rich in culture and tradition. The few and small houses in the area are very dispersed in the landscape and use local, natural materials like wood, stone and hay. The image of the area is strongly defined by those criteria. The proposed intervention merges the local traditional style with a contemporary intervention and abstractly mimics the dispersed positioning of the houses in the local context. The intention is to make the intervention as integrated in the context as possible. We were searching to obtain a rather vernacular image with carefully chosen details that highlight the spirit of the place. The lower lever is buried underground and resembles the local hills and the sinuous under-layer of the Romanian culture. The ground floor contains a restaurant and accommodation spaces. Big windows are oriented towards the panoramic mountain view so that the indoor merges with the outdoor and become one. The mansard areas are covered in hay and resemble the aesthetic of haystacks placed on a hill, an image very much present in the local context. They also contain accommodation spaces. The whole proposal has the purpose of maintaining alive the culture, cuisine and traditional architecture in the Transylvanian area.