Polished gemstone with a panoramic view

Light, views, and puristic materials: The architects of OUTOFBOX have created a private project that undoubtedly stands out and attracts attention, while valuing the surrounding nature. The house, nestled in picturesque hilly terrain, is located near the town of Cēsis in northern Latvia. To enable the owners to enjoy the beauty of the changing nature year-round with comfort, the project incorporates highly thermally insulated sliding systems Schüco ASS 77 PD.HI and ASS 70.HI. Automated slides with floor-to-ceiling glazing literally dissolve the optical barrier between the living space and nature.

Cēsis, a medieval port and trading town in northern Latvia, lies in a romantic setting of hills and lowlands above the Gauja River, which gives its name to the adjacent Gauja National Park. The architects at OUTOFBOX were well aware of this exceptional environment, and thus designed the family house with maximum respect for the local landscape and the topography of the building plot. The slope's orientation and embedding into the steep terrain by the river invite variability, giving the house a different face on each side. In consideration of the owners' privacy, the facade is least transparent on the access road, and the entire house is only partially visible from this side. In contrast, the southwest-facing side of the villa literally opens up to the valley. The facade of all three floors features extensive large-scale glazing, revealing the interior completely to the exterior.

Three transparent levels

The lower floor, which is completely hidden from the road, serves for leisure activities and sauna use. The relaxation zone is complemented by a wine cellar and an extensive terrace with a pool. On the ground floor, at the access level of the house, there is a large living room with a kitchen and dining area, an open fireplace, and two guest rooms. Thanks to a 12-meter wide and full-height glass sliding wall, the owners enjoy the beauty of changing nature every day, and in favorable weather, they can push this minimal visual barrier aside and blend completely with the greenery.

The living room opens up to the upper floor. The staircase leads to the inner concrete gallery, which provides access to the quiet zone rooms: an office and a large bedroom with a terrace. From there, stunning views over the treetops into the ancient Gauja River valley unfold.

Highly thermally insulated construction

Despite the extensive glazing, the architects managed to adhere to low-energy building technologies and principles. The key to success was a compact building project with cubic shapes, optimized facade-to-living area ratio, and the use of highly thermally insulated façade systems from Schüco with triple glazing. The orientation of these surfaces to the south and west contributes to energy efficiency and the use of natural light. The energy balance of the outer shell is further improved by thermal solar collectors placed on the building's roof.

The lower floor and ground floor of the villa consist of a double-layer reinforced concrete structure with intelligent insulation, which allows the concrete surface to be exposed from both inside and outside. The third (top) floor has a deliberately different design. The fully glazed structure with a slender metal frame offers a 270° panoramic view.

Sliding door system

The pure puristic design has also been translated by the architects from OUTOFBOX, in collaboration with Lolot Design, into the interior, thanks to the exposed concrete surfaces and large-scale glazing in minimalist aluminum profiles. A sense of coziness and comfort is created by natural oak (not just) on the floor and carefully designed elements such as the fireplace insert and decorative metal staircase. The lighting concept—combining hidden and wall-mounted units with vertical light elements—creates individual lighting scenes that can be easily controlled via a suitable application on a smartphone.

The choice of windows, façade, and sliding systems from the German brand Schüco fits perfectly into such a conceived project. The frames and fittings are seamlessly integrated into the floors and ceilings, with minimal visible profile widths and structural capacity for integrating large elements with triple glazing. Users will appreciate the "smart" features in the form of mechatronic fittings Schüco TipTronic for motorized opening and closing of windows (from the Schüco AWS 75 BS.SI system) and the e-slide system, a fully concealed drive system that simply, safely, and automatically opens, closes, and locks large-format sliding units from the Schüco ASS 70.HI and ASS 77 PD.HI systems.

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Summary data:
Project: Private house, Cēsis, Latvia
Design: OUTOFBOX Architecture, Riga, Latvia
Interior design: OUTOFBOX with Lolot design, Riga, Latvia
Lead designer: Lolot Design, Santa Meikuläne
Structural engineering: a2a.engineers, Riga, Latvia
Schüco system supplier: SmartECO SIA, Siguldas nov., Latvia
Total living area: 280 m²
Design: 2014-2015
Implementation: 2015-2016

Schüco systems in the project:
Facade: Schüco FW 50+HI, Schüco FW 50+.SI
Sliding systems: Schüco ASS 77 PD.HI, Schüco ASS 70.HI with Schüco e-slide drive
Windows: Schüco AWS 75 BS.SI with mechatronic fittings Schüco TipTronic
Entrance doors: Schüco ADS 75.SI with control unit Door Control System
All in RAL 9004, 30% gloss, triple glazing with special Low-E treatment.

For more information, visit www.schueco.cz.