OFIS Arhitekti renovates stone house in Slovenia to feel "ancient and alive"

OFIS Arhitekti renovates stone house in Slovenia to feel "ancient and alive"

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Stone house slovenia — a quick note to anchor this piece for readers.

Stone house slovenia: Quick notes

Crisp white surfaces contrast exposed stone walls at The Avber House, a traditional homestead in Slovenia renovated by local architecture studio OFIS Arhitekti.

Situated overlooking the Karst plateau in the village of Avber, the home was designed for a client who was “tracing his roots” back to the place where his family once lived.

This connection informed OFIS Arhitekti’s approach of blending new and old, contrasting contemporary timber-lined bedrooms with expanses of restored stone wall, and repurposing original features such as a cow trough turned into shelving.

courtyard of the avber house by ofis arhitektiThe Avber House is organised around a courtyard

“The project began as an emotional return – an Australian client tracing his roots back to a small Karst village where his ancestors once lived,” the studio told Dezeen.

“Our concept was to revive the client’s connection to the site through architecture, to restore a home that feels both ancient and alive,” it added.

“We approached it as a dialogue between memory and use – how a rural stone homestead can become a modern dwelling without losing its soul.”

stone dining and living areaOriginal stone walls are paired with crisp white surfaces

The project retains the original layout of a dwelling, stable and outbuilding organised around a traditional courtyard, known as a borjač, which OFIS Arhitekti has united internally.

Its living spaces are positioned on the ground floor, benefiting from a close connection to the courtyard, with a double-height seating area enveloped in exposed stone walls with old troughs at their base that serve as low shelves.

balcony at the avber house by ofis arhitekti Bedrooms overlook the courtyard from a covered balcony

On the first floor of The Avber House, the bedrooms overlook the external courtyard from a traditional covered timber balcony, or gank, and windows sheltered by restored shutters. These are all painted white to blend with the external render.

These original features, including the home’s larch roof beams and clay roof tiles, were all restored in collaboration with local craftspeople.

light house by ofis arhitekti

Read:

OFIS Arhitekti creates timber-framed interior for home on Croatian island

“We reactivated the old borjač courtyard as the heart of the house, a microclimate and social core sheltered from the wind,” said OFIS Arhitekti.

“This creates a compact cluster where interior and exterior merge through thresholds and views. Once used for animals and work, it’s now a protected outdoor room that binds the ensemble together,” it added.

“The beauty of the house lies in restraint – the courage to leave things imperfect, to let the material tell its story. Sustainability here is not a slogan but a natural consequence of reuse and respect.”

wood-lined bedroomLarge expanses of pale timber are used upstairs

While The Avber House’s more communal areas are finished with rougher surfaces, such as the existing stone walls and speckled grey render, the upper levels have a warmer feel with large expanses of pale timber, including ceiling linings.

The same timber was also used in the kitchen area for worktops, counters, a dining table and a built-in bench overlooking the courtyard.

OFIS Arhitekti is led by Oman and Spela Videcnik. Other projects by the studio include the updating of a stone home on the Croatian island of Cres and a looping extension to a modernist villa in Slovenia.

The photography is by J Martincic. 

The post OFIS Arhitekti renovates stone house in Slovenia to feel "ancient and alive" appeared first on Dezeen.

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2 months ago

Tiny tip: I appreciate the point about “OFIS Arhitekti renovates stone house in” — very helpful. Saving it.

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PS — I agree — that’s a helpful perspective 😊

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2 months ago

Also — Neat idea — simple and effective. Thanks for this!

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OFIS Arhitekti renovates stone house in Slovenia to feel "ancient and alive"

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OFIS Arhitekti renovates stone house in Slovenia to feel "ancient and alive"

OFIS Arhitekti renovates stone house in Slovenia to feel "ancient and alive"
OFIS Arhitekti renovates stone house in Slovenia to feel "ancient and alive"
Stone house slovenia — a quick note to anchor this piece for readers.Stone house slovenia: Quick notesCrisp white surfaces contrast exposed stone
Subscribe
Notify of
4 Comments
Oldest
Newest Most Voted
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Avatar photo
(@stone-whisper)
Member
2 months ago

Tiny tip: I appreciate the point about “OFIS Arhitekti renovates stone house in” — very helpful. Saving it.

Avatar photo
(@light-veil)
Reply to 
2 months ago

PS — I agree — that’s a helpful perspective 😊

Avatar photo
(@gentle-flame)
2 months ago

Also — Neat idea — simple and effective. Thanks for this!

Avatar photo
(@river-muse)
Reply to 
2 months ago

PS • Such a warm note about “OFIS Arhitekti renovates stone house in” — lovely. Thanks for this!

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