House in Marupe by Open AD
A roof terrace can be glimpsed between the metallic grey timber beams that surround a two-storey house near Riga, Latvia.
House in Marupe was designed by Latvian architects Open AD.
Doors from the two first-floor bedrooms lead directly onto the screened upper terrace, above an open-plan living area that is visible through a circular roof light.
A third bedroom, utility rooms and a spa are also provided on the ground floor.
The floor of the house is finished in black concrete, while timber boards provide an external deck behind the building.
This building is only the second in Latvia to be featured on Dezeen - see also a sports hall inspired by chunks of amber washed up on the Baltic coast.
This week on Dezeen we've also published beautiful houses in Japan, Germany and Australia - see all our stories about houses here.
Photography is by Maris Lagzdins.
Here's some more information from the architects:
The building was constructed around a growing body compositional center- inner garden.
It was conceived Stylistics Japanese tsubo garden form of the Japanese garden culture generally been integrated inside the house, as a recreational area.
Space around the garden was intended to be transparent, thereby fusing, at the same time separating the functions of acquiring and natural feeling to a room.
During project implementation, unfortunately, the customer refused to inner garden, adding indoor seating area.
Shape the direction of home was holding against the neighboring streets, parcel boundaries and corners.
Building a vertical direction followed by the sun span, thus the second floor of the south side places deeper, resulting in direct sunlight.
On the second floor bedroom has a spacious terrace with a planned green plants.
Building is finished with a blackish tree, creating a variety of boards in rhythm, but resulting in a seamless whole volume, where the main emphasis put on the form.
Click above for larger image
Finishing a different highlight only the entrance area, including the smooth metal door in the plane.
Click above for larger image
Emphasizing the building face, the remainder of the plot-driven corner wooden footbridge, situated in an outdoor fireplace.
Click above for larger image
From there, the building is perceived in its entirety.