We got to know the client through a professional relationship during the development of the Irányi Palace in District V planned by our office. We represented the general design side, and he represented the contractor. Due to the good professional relationship, in 2019 he entrusted us with the design of his own family house, which he intended to build in Zsámbék. Among his expectations, the creation of the optimal program was a priority, which would not be excessive either in terms of costs or appearance. At the same time, as a professional, he wanted to make it felt strongly, that this is an engineer's house, disciplined and tight, with engineering details and conscious use of materials.

As designers, our goals were quickly set, one of the most important points of which was to try to create an alternative to the line of new family homes lined up along the axis of the "Agglomeration Minimum" and the "Hungarian Mediterranean". The resulting building should be simple, professionally high-quality, yet entertaining.

With these thoughts in mind, we came to the design, where, in accordance with the regulations, we placed an elongated building standing on the side border, which we chose to divide into two masses along the functions (separating the public and private zones), with space for the arrival spaces and a protected terrace of a different quality. And we found the fun factor in a simple geometric game, namely shifting the roof ridges in opposite directions. The advantage of the resulting mass is that even on its shorter sides - despite the simple house shape - a more complex visual is revealed. We tried to make all the coverings of the two parts of the building the same, in order to bring block-likeness - as an architectural endeavor - to the fore. At the same time, due to their differences, these will not be boring, they are in a relationship with each other, they form a couple.

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The rear, differently colored terracotta mass peeks out from behind its grayer companion from certain points of view, indicating that he is also here, which is a nice and at first not obvious presence, and which subtly but firmly characterizes the personality of the building thus created. We considered it important to arrange not only the building, but also its immediate surroundings - the conscious placement of the terraces, the relationship between the front yard and the fence are all part of the big whole. We are grateful to our customers that they all tried to put these fine but not insignificant details in their place, thank you!

Planning: 2019
Implementation: 2020-2022
Client and contractor: Richárd Kapornai
Photo: Bálint Jaksa

Paintings: Norbert Oláh

Furniture: Hannabi, IDDesign

Lighting: Luminis