Thematic dossier

"Joy in the hills"

Thematic dossier

Dr. arh. Viorica CUREA Recommends
arh. Istvan BENEDEK

"A joy behind the hills"

Villa in Luminiș

Viorica Curea: BNA 2018 introduced, for the first time, the section ,, Green, Sustainable Architecture and Alternative Energies" in which you presented ,,VILA DIN LUMINIȘ". How did you decide on this site, a hill with an opening to the surrounding hills and mountains?

Istvan Benedek: After a long search, the owners found this 3-hectare plot. They looked for "untouched nature" in an accessible area. They were captivated by the image of mountains, fir forests and meadows full of wild flowers. The position of the house we found together, being influenced primarily by the view and the direction of the access road, the neighbors in the distance.

Viorica Curea: What made you decide to approach the concept of "green, sustainable architecture, using alternative energy"?

I.B.: In this project, the beneficiaries wanted a green, energy independent house from the outset and we are trying, as far as possible, to adopt sustainable concepts. As we can see in more developed countries, it has become the norm to build high-performance, energy-efficient houses. This project, although it was not intended to reach the passive house parameters, in many aspects it comes close to this standard.

Viorica Curea: The incorporation of the volume of the building in the natural environment, in the specific local architecture, in a modern treatment of the building, with harmonious proportions and at the same time favorable to a sustainable treatment, required a permanent collaboration with the beneficiary. How did this go?

I.B.: Surprisingly, we had rather few meetings, we had the maximum professional trust from the beneficiary. Obviously we exchanged hundreds of emails, we had a pinterest album where everyone collected ideas, concepts they discovered, all phases were checked, confirmed by the parties. For the interior design part, which ran in parallel with the execution, the beneficiary was more intensely involved, with almost daily communication with the interior designer.

Viorica Curea: The theme was fundamental in balancing the spaces. What was the secret of success, of the harmony achieved?

I.B.: The owners did not have a concrete idea of what they wanted, in the design theme they formulated only a few key ideas that later formed the basis of the architectural concept: to be an eco-friendly, solar-powered building, exploiting the natural attributes of the site; dominant materials to be wood, glass, grass; "invisible" from the road, integrated into the landscape; simple and modern interiors, with abundant light and warmth; to emphasize the wonderful panorama around the house; in summer, the house to open up, interior-exterior boundaries to disappear; open kitchen and high headroom in the living area.
The fact that the work was not rushed, that sufficient time was allocated for preparation, thoroughness, detailing contributed greatly to the final result.

caption><img src= Viorica Curea: The orientation of the building, the energy calculations, the use of traditional elements with modern alternative materials and techniques of the latest modern performance have certainly enhanced your professional experience.

I.B.: The work involved a substantial documentation phase to learn the principles and design the details specific to natural building materials. The particularly harsh climatic conditions presented an additional challenge for achieving energy performance.
In the future, we want to capitalize on the accumulated knowledge to find cost-optimized and cost-optimized solutions for building with organic, renewable, low-impact, energy-efficient, low-impact, highly energy-efficient, renewable materials, offering a viable alternative to the classical system.
Another important theme that we want to get involved in, to learn about is the rehabilitation of old buildings, bringing them up to current standards without losing their cultural value.

Istvan Benedek (b. 1981)

http://www.blipsz.ro

2006 - Graduate of the Faculty of Architecture - "Babeș-Bolyai" University, Cluj-Nnapoca
- associate architect in blipsz office in Cluj
- founding member of area3 association.

AWARDS
- Refuge in Tomești; Social Boiler, Toplița; Hajdó House; Bungalows in Odorheiu Secuiesc; Casa J - passive house in Odorheiu Secuiesc.

Viorica Curea: Following this performance, you have been invited on a documentary tour in Germany.

I.B.: At the 2018 Biennale, we received a special prize, a trip to Stuttgart, invited to Knauf Werktage. I had the pleasure of discovering a multitude of products presented very professionally on models, samples, by some friendly specialists. Besides the event, we visited some remarkable new buildings. All these professional experiences most probably sit well in the subconscious enriching the architectural baggage for future projects.

Viorica Curea: Do you think that concrete realization in design is enough or is it necessary, in parallel, to study and research in the field?

I.B.: I think that we can never say that we know enough, we need to document and learn. Each project is different, it needs its own analysis, its own preparation for which, ideally, we manage to allocate time in the design process. It would be nice if, in parallel, we could also invest in continuous professional training, taking courses, getting certifications, but for the time being these are just future plans.

Viorica Curea: Do you think that public opinion can be influenced to open towards "green, sustainable architecture and alternative energy"?
I.B.: There are all sorts of preconceptions about green architecture that we should dismantle in people's minds, nowadays building conditions are changing quite rapidly, almost like in the car industry, new systems are appearing, building materials are being developed.

Viorica Curea: A less realistic proposal is to turn to other fields of art. I am thinking of Cristian Mungiu who made the movie "After the Hills". It would be wonderful if he could release "A Joy After the Hills" with footage filmed at the "Villa in Luminiș", with the real characters of the project's designers, with the family history of the beneficiaries and the horses grazing peacefully in the courtyard of the villa...

It 's a very good idea. I also like very much works that are on the border between different fields of art, for example the architectural films by Beka&Lemoine, but in this case it's unlikely, the beneficiaries really care a lot about their privacy, I suppose they would not agree.