HOLIDAY HOUSE, SZÁNTÓD

The holiday house of a family of four at the Lake Balaton is a composition of simple geometrical forms. Its archetype is an archaic image consisting of a pure rectangular form covered by a large roof and containing all the expected functions. The reduced composition leaves space for the surrounding garden, creating harmony with its green, and radiating calm. The given heterogeneous built environment did not call for a more powerful design. The building has a spacious series of rooms – living room, dining room and kitchen – opening onto the south oriented garden as well as bedrooms oriented east–west. The zones of daily and nightly usage are separated by a great hall with a pantry, a toilet, and a shower stall, whereas the three bedrooms share a bathroom. The cross-section of the house is of special interest: every room is closed by the slant roof, there is no built ceiling. Above the passage between the bedrooms, there is a covered gallery that serves as a place of storage. The high-quality building is furnished with excellent taste by its owner, a collector of artefacts; the solid, modern pieces of furniture and the accessories are in harmony with the building’s architectural aspect. The character is defined outside by the solid wood shutters in front of the windows, which can be closed from the inside, thus protecting the house, which is mostly empty. In front of the bright living room, there is a terrace protected by a large, engine-driven, mobile shading canvas. The compact, closed form, the increased heat insulation of the façade, the well-chosen proportion of the openings on the front, the favourable orientation, and the reception on sunlight all contribute to the low-energy operation of the house. Heating is provided by ground-source heat pumps, joined by tube registers in the ceiling, which act as surface transmitting the heat; the building is not linked to the gas distribution network. Domestic hot water is provided by sun collectors, and the house can be fully used in winter. The former orchard has been replaced by an elegant, and constantly, carefully tended design garden, where guests are led through the stone-covered footpath from the gate of the garden.

Holiday house, Szántód 
interior design: ERIKA IGNÁCZ
client: PRIVATE 
year of the design: 2009 
volume: 150 m²