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House in the Woods
House in the Woods
Urtijëi, Italy
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House in the Woods
Urtijëi, Italy
Type
STATUS
Built
YEAR
2020
SIZE
0 sqft - 1000 sqft
BUDGET
Undisclosed
At 1,600 meters above sea level, a 35-square-meter dwelling redefines the alpine retreat through a compact yet spatially generous courtyard typology. Perched above the tourist-driven village of Ortisei in Val Gardena, the house sits on a steep, forested slope overlooking the valley and the Seiser Alm. Conceived as a place of withdrawal, it was commissioned as a counterpoint to the client’s everyday life — a quiet refuge embedded in nature. The exposed topography and unstable soil conditions posed structural challenges, while the limited footprint required an efficient spatial strategy capable of accommodating essential domestic functions without sacrificing spatial quality.
Rather than organizing the program linearly, the design concentrates the house around an open-air courtyard that forms its spatial and atmospheric core. Sleeping, cooking, living, and bathing areas unfold as a continuous sequence around this central void. The courtyard draws daylight deep into the interior, mediates between inside and outside, and establishes layered visual connections across the compact plan. Through this configuration, the modest floor area expands into a dynamic spatial experience that balances intimacy and openness.
Toward the gable facade, the building presents a deliberately restrained appearance. From this perspective, it reads as an almost closed, monolithic volume set within the trees. This controlled exterior expression reinforces the sense of retreat, revealing the interior’s spatial complexity only upon entry.
In response to the unstable ground, the structure is anchored by a carefully engineered foundation system. Above it, a ventilated floor assembly of solid timber beams and wood-fiber insulation supports a prefabricated timber-frame construction. Manufactured off-site and assembled within a single day, the structure reflects precision, efficiency, and a reduced environmental impact.
Material choices strengthen the integration into the alpine context. The facade is clad in vertically installed, rough-sawn spruce boards treated with a black stain. Vertical battens create depth and rhythm; along the terraces they gradually open, forming permeable thresholds between interior and landscape. The darkened timber allows the volume to recede into the forest, emphasizing tectonic clarity over formal presence.
Inside, the palette remains restrained. Floors, walls, and ceilings are uniformly clad in rough-sawn spruce, creating a cohesive and tactile atmosphere. Mineral plaster defines the bathroom, while needle felt surfaces in the sleeping area enhance acoustic comfort. Through spatial precision, material consistency, and constructive clarity, the house demonstrates how radical reduction can transform minimal space into an intense architectural retreat rooted in its alpine setting.
Interior collaboration with: ruralurban
Photo credits: Alex Filz and Thaddäus Salcher
Rather than organizing the program linearly, the design concentrates the house around an open-air courtyard that forms its spatial and atmospheric core. Sleeping, cooking, living, and bathing areas unfold as a continuous sequence around this central void. The courtyard draws daylight deep into the interior, mediates between inside and outside, and establishes layered visual connections across the compact plan. Through this configuration, the modest floor area expands into a dynamic spatial experience that balances intimacy and openness.
Toward the gable facade, the building presents a deliberately restrained appearance. From this perspective, it reads as an almost closed, monolithic volume set within the trees. This controlled exterior expression reinforces the sense of retreat, revealing the interior’s spatial complexity only upon entry.
In response to the unstable ground, the structure is anchored by a carefully engineered foundation system. Above it, a ventilated floor assembly of solid timber beams and wood-fiber insulation supports a prefabricated timber-frame construction. Manufactured off-site and assembled within a single day, the structure reflects precision, efficiency, and a reduced environmental impact.
Material choices strengthen the integration into the alpine context. The facade is clad in vertically installed, rough-sawn spruce boards treated with a black stain. Vertical battens create depth and rhythm; along the terraces they gradually open, forming permeable thresholds between interior and landscape. The darkened timber allows the volume to recede into the forest, emphasizing tectonic clarity over formal presence.
Inside, the palette remains restrained. Floors, walls, and ceilings are uniformly clad in rough-sawn spruce, creating a cohesive and tactile atmosphere. Mineral plaster defines the bathroom, while needle felt surfaces in the sleeping area enhance acoustic comfort. Through spatial precision, material consistency, and constructive clarity, the house demonstrates how radical reduction can transform minimal space into an intense architectural retreat rooted in its alpine setting.
Interior collaboration with: ruralurban
Photo credits: Alex Filz and Thaddäus Salcher
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