Rogovean House

I am waiting for time to pass to see how the house ages and only then will its story begin...

My first impression of the house was how pleasant and how well it tied in with the place, the atmosphere of the street and how the beautifully manicured courtyard-garden invites you to linger, to a story, if not more.

From this first impression, the house took shape naturally. The exterior shape had to remain as unchanged as possible, and the exterior finishes had to be as fine and subtle as possible.

How the house took shape

The loft had the task of extending the space of the house, to provide sleeping space. The angle of the slope of the roof was therefore altered to make room for human presence.

The shape has remained almost unchanged, its proportions have kept its proportions, the house taking on a new 'face' only through the contribution of small details.

Towards the courtyard, the house has 'opened up'. It has been given a bridge-entrance, linking the courtyard to the interior space via a terrace (present both inside and outside), and in the attic, two "eyes" invite you to linger a little longer.

The space

The ground floor was to be the family's meeting place: kitchen, dining and living room. A continuous space, treated as a single unit by the arrangement of wooden slats that had the task of warming and dissipating the newly reinforced frames of the house.

The dining area has been situated in such a way as to maintain a visual connection with the courtyard, in summer even bringing it inside the house through the "deck" terrace and the full opening of the window.

The attic houses three bedrooms needed by family members and two bathrooms. The bathrooms are connected to the space "outside" them by a loggia that differently frames the neighborhood. The attic hallway, served by a neutral white metal staircase, opens onto the courtyard through two "eye" windows that let the light in and let the "masters" of the house spend a little more time under the "wraps".

Last impression

That we gave the house back the warm identity it wanted. The intervention was a modest one, which wanted to leave the house in the pleasant anonymity of the street and the privacy of the courtyard.

Authors: arh. Claudia GodeanStructure: eng. Tibor LenghelProject: Partial attic alteration of semi-detached houseDesign: 2007Construction: 2009 - finalizationOffice: SC D'architect SRLSurface area: Sd = 230 sq.m approx.Original area: Sc = 113 sq.m

Photos: Alex Cozma, Brândușa Havași, Roxana Șurcă