Olive Trees House
Lybia
Construction of a new private villa
Info
2008: In progress
Project: IDxEA
Client: private
Lot surface area: 4.248mq
Total surface area: 2.644mq
Covered area: 2.026mq
Total volume: 10.714mc
Text
In October 2009 IDxEA was commissioned to design a house situated on a large property at the edge of a small town in the western mountains of Libya. Access to the region is by way of a typically steep mountain road that ascends from a desert landscape. This leads to a particularly fertile region at the centre of which lies the property earmarked for the project, just below the highest point of a valley near the Tunisian border, and surrounded by luscious orchards, olive trees and almond trees. Here the valley has been shaped by human hand; terraced hillsides channel the rainwater and are planted with rows of trees. Indeed, it was by following these natural curves at the different levels, in a morphological extension as it were, that the project gained its inspiration from its very inception. The principles that guided the design of Olive Trees House were to provide marvellous views of the surroundings, fit the building into the terrain and integrate its features, and transform it into a privileged vantage point for its inhabitants.
The building is laid out along a curve consisting of large rooms overlooking the surroundings. The roof, designed to be at the same level as the access road, consists of a series of grassy terraces that seem to be a continuation of the hillside sloping down to the valley, providing a series of belvederes.
The various rooms inside the building are rectangular in shape, one wall of each being entirely windowed from floor to ceiling and protected by sunblinds inspired by the floors of the traditional local residences, which consisted of a tight weave of olive branches and cement mortar. A wide hallway runs down the main axis of the house and connects the rooms on either side of it, ending in a staircase that links the two levels of the house. Along the hallway a number of inner courtyards are visible, where the oldest olive trees on the estate will be placed; these will become intimate and welcoming gardens that will allow soft, diffused light into the house. Lastly, an indoor swimming pool will be backed by two large walls that will be built out of local stone using traditional laying techniques.
The building is laid out along a curve consisting of large rooms overlooking the surroundings. The roof, designed to be at the same level as the access road, consists of a series of grassy terraces that seem to be a continuation of the hillside sloping down to the valley, providing a series of belvederes.
The various rooms inside the building are rectangular in shape, one wall of each being entirely windowed from floor to ceiling and protected by sunblinds inspired by the floors of the traditional local residences, which consisted of a tight weave of olive branches and cement mortar. A wide hallway runs down the main axis of the house and connects the rooms on either side of it, ending in a staircase that links the two levels of the house. Along the hallway a number of inner courtyards are visible, where the oldest olive trees on the estate will be placed; these will become intimate and welcoming gardens that will allow soft, diffused light into the house. Lastly, an indoor swimming pool will be backed by two large walls that will be built out of local stone using traditional laying techniques.