The design of the VJK house was very challenging, as our goal was to create a space that would satisfy the needs of very artistic couple. The purpose of the space was to combine the comfort of a home with the inspiring nature and functionality of an art studio. There was an existing old building on the sight similar to the design of homes in the Gargar village. We wanted the home to blend in with the rest of the village. Instead of starting from scratch we added to the historic context of the old building by extending the same shape using glass and concrete. The window acted as a transition from the old building to the new one. By incorporating aspects of industrial minimalism, we designed the space so that it could easily serve different purposes.
The loft design of the interior further opens the home’s interior to have a bright and airy feeling. On the first floor, the space includes a kitchen, living room and art studio whereas the upper floor serves as a bedroom. The design incorporates large, top to bottom windows to fill the interior with light. Because the space was limited, we aimed to increase the functionality and efficiency of the space by merging the art studio, living space and kitchen in one grand space. The central element of the home is the heating system which is exposed in a red color and includes two fireplaces: one on each floor. The exposed heating system and fire places symbolize the warmth of the home and the family. The design aims to modernize the typical Armenian village house and get a warm, efficient, and functional village house.