VILLA VARJIN

design process

This private weekend villa, located in the mountainous and cold-climate region of Varjin, lavasan, was designed for a client seeking a refined and luxurious retreat for family getaways. The ambition was to create a villa that could not only accommodate a wide range of functional needs, but also offer a unique architectural experience shaped by both landscape and climate. Given the region’s harsh winters and cold seasonal patterns, the design took a climatic approach from the outset. A steep-sloped roof was employed as both a functional response to snow accumulation and rainfall, and a formal gesture that gives the building a strong architectural identity. This roof geometry became an integral part of the overall form, contributing to a coherent and sculptural silhouette. What truly defines the spatial character of the project is the decision to organize the villa through a series of split levels. Instead of a flat and conventional floor plan, the building unfolds as a sequence of semi-levels, where each shift in elevation introduces a new space, a new function, and a new spatial sensation. This cascading spatial structure turns vertical circulation into an experiential journey, where movement through the villa becomes a choreographed architectural sequence.

Each split level creates a moment of transition—a pause that not only enhances spatial hierarchy, but also fosters diversity and rhythm within the house. Public areas such as the living room and kitchen are distinct yet connected, while private zones like bedrooms are nested in elevated or sunken levels that offer both privacy and spatial identity. This layout optimizes circulation, visibility, and natural light, while reinforcing the villa’s sense of flow and internal layering.

The exterior form, shaped by the interplay of sloped roofs and split masses, results in a dynamic yet minimal composition. The modern façade is composed of clean lines, intentional recesses, and a balanced material palette—allowing the architecture to both contrast with and harmonize with the natural surroundings. The building reads not as a foreign object placed in nature, but as a form born out of it.

In essence, this villa is an architectural response to place, climate, and lifestyle. It offers a refined yet grounded spatial experience—where architecture moves beyond utility and becomes a lived narrative, unfolding across levels, light, and landscape.

renders

drawings