Home Design

This Social Housing Block project, Izola, Slovenia is a competition - winning entry to design two housing blocks for the Slovenia Housing Fund, a government-run program providing low cost apartments for young families. The proposal won largely for its excellent ratio between gross vs. saleable surface area as well as for its flexibility in design.






















This Social Housing Block was designed by Ofis Arhitekti ( Rok Oman, Spela Videcnik ), The architect bureau based in Ljubljana, The work negotiates between architectural projects in different scales (from 30-50.000m²), performing arts and design.

The completion project of this social housing block was on 2006 and have build up area 2.294m2. Each building provides for thirty apartments of different sizes and structures, varying from studio flats to 3-bedroom units. The apartments are small, with minimum-sized rooms according to Slovenian standards. There are no structural elements inside the apartments which can hence be flexibly reorganized.























The blocks are set out on a hill with a view of Izola Bay on one side and of the surrounding hills on the other. Since the blocks are subject to a Mediterranean climate, outdoor space and shade are critical features of design.


















The design allows for a veranda for each apartment, thus providing an outdoor space that is intimate, shaded and naturally ventilated. A textile shade creates privacy within the balcony and apartment whilst, owing to its semi-transparency, allowing the residents to enjoy views of the bay.



















Perforated side-panels allow summer breeze to ventilate the space. The strong colours create different atmospheres within the apartments. Boxes at the side of each balcony provide room for air-conditioning units. Perspective and visual lines are accentuated and utilized, connecting the interiors with their surround, thus making the small rooms seem more spacious.



# Text: Courtesy, the architect
# Photographs by Tomaz Gregoric courtesy of Ofis Architects.