House Step Level by OFIS Architecture

ByJon Dykstra Houses

The house is located in a residential area in the border between the city center and suburban district.

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Architect: OFIS Architecture
Loation: Ljubljana, Slovenia
Area: 385m²
Year: 2016-2019
Type: Residence

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Project Team:
Rok Oman, Spela Videcnik, Andrej Gregoric, Janez Martincic
José Navarrete Jiménez, Barbora Kubíčková, Filomena Zegarelli, Mariangela Fabbri, Sara Carciotti, Yelizaveta Smalonskaya, Katharina Felix, Viktoria Dimitrova, Ana Skobe, Roberta Gravina, Laura Martinez Vega

Technical Team:
Structural engineering: Projecta d.o.o
Mechanical engineering: Vavtar enginering d.o.o
Electrical engineering: Eldata d.o.o.

The volume of the home is divided into steps from the street to the garden level, in accordance with its topography.
The volume of the home is divided into steps from the street to the garden level, in accordance with its topography.
A view of the underground floor's living room, with glass-enclosed concrete steps leading to the ground floor.
A view of the underground floor’s living room, with glass-enclosed concrete steps leading to the ground floor.
A living space for everyday family life on the bottom level of the yard. It has a floor-to-ceiling window that can be blocked out with a block-out drape to provide privacy from the outside.
A living space for everyday family life on the bottom level of the yard. It has a floor-to-ceiling window that can be blocked out with a block-out drape to provide privacy from the outside.
Concrete features dominate the house's interior design, as evidenced in the floor, walls, and staircase.
Concrete features dominate the house’s interior design, as evidenced in the floor, walls, and staircase.
A large open area with steps connecting the underground to the ground floor. The materials employed were a combination of bricks, concrete, and glass.
A large open area with steps connecting the underground to the ground floor. The materials employed were a combination of bricks, concrete, and glass.
Another living area accessible from the street level that serves as a reception and guest welcome area. The glass-enclosed wall gives the living room an outdoor atmosphere.
Another living area accessible from the street level that serves as a reception and guest welcome area. The glass-enclosed wall gives the living room an outdoor atmosphere.
The first floor accommodates the rooms for the family members.
The first floor accommodates the rooms for the family members.
The steps from the street to the garden level. Every floor has terraces with plants that overlook the trees in the backyard garden.
The steps from the street to the garden level. Every floor has terraces with plants that overlook the trees in the backyard garden.
The back side is open and glazed, with views of the several floors of private gardens.
The back side is open and glazed, with views of the several floors of private gardens.
The side facade of the house showing the stepped geometry of the house that has an associated terrace.
The side facade of the house showing the stepped geometry of the house that has an associated terrace.
The resulting volume is wrapped in a perforated brick fabric in the exposed facades towards the street that act as a lattice and provides privacy.
The resulting volume is wrapped in a perforated brick fabric in the exposed facades towards the street that act as a lattice and provides privacy.
The underground floor plan of the house step level.
The underground floor plan of the house step level.
The ground floor plan of the house step level.
The ground floor plan of the house step level.

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The first floor plan of the house step level.
The first floor plan of the house step level.
The second floor plan of the house step level.
The second floor plan of the house step level.
The roof floor plan of the house step level.
The roof floor plan of the house step level.
The section a of the house step level.
The section a of the house step level.
The section b of the house step level.
The section b of the house step level.
The section c of the house step level.
The section c of the house step level.

The house is located in a residential area in the border between the city center and suburban district. There is a difference in height of 2.5m between the level of the street and the further part of the lot.

Following its topography, the volume of the house is divided into steps from the street to the garden level. This allows creating terraces with plants in every floor, overlooking the trees in the backyard garden.

The client, a bilingual family (Slovene-English), requested in the brief design of two different living room areas, one as a reception and guest greeting accessed by the street level and another for daily family life in the garden’s lower level. In that way, the stepped geometry of the house is evident in the programmatic organization as well.

Ground floor level is intended for guest meeting and eventual activities while the core of domestic life is located in the lower level, where the kitchen and living room is connected visually and spatially with the patio and the garden.

First floor accommodates the rooms for the family members. Second floor has being designed as a penthouse for guests. Each main activity has an associated terrace.

The duality of functions is clearly expressed in the sections as well. On the one hand there is a typical aggregation of floors in a single family house while on the other hand the voids for the garage and the terraces hollow the building in two parts while visually connecting the gardens in the back, the different terraces of the house and the main entrance from the street.

The resulting volume is wrapped in a perforated brick fabric in the exposed facades towards the street that act as a lattice and provides privacy while its back side is wide open glazed overlooking the several levels of private gardens.

Sustainable solutions:
-heat recovery ventilation system
-heat pump earth-water
-ceiling cooling system ( installed in the concrete slabs)
-double layer thermal insulation
-triple layered glazing with wooden framing
-glazed openings towards sun illumination (North VS South)
-using of ecological external materials, reduction of any additional internal cladding with exposed structural walls.

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Jon Dykstra
Jon Dykstra

Jon practiced law before launching his online publishing career, bringing analytical rigor to everything he builds. Home Stratosphere combines that precision with a lifelong obsession with residential design — architecture, interiors, landscape, and furniture.

His current focus is AI-driven design analysis, using artificial intelligence to study patterns in color, layout, and material choice across thousands of homes. His Personality Type Home Design Guide applies personality frameworks to interior aesthetics, helping readers design spaces that reflect how they actually think and live.

His favorite piece on the site is the 25 Most Popular Designs, is a daily-updated ranking of the top designs over the last 30 days, driven entirely by visitor activity. The feedback is invaluable for understanding what resonates most with readers. LinkedIn

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