House with Courtyards

The plot is rectangular, set in a quiet neighbourhood in northern Bucharest, within a protected historic fabric of narrow parcels and houses with gardens — a typology preserved over time that defined the direction of the project before it began. The parcel layout is protected, the typology prescribed, densification inevitable.

The new house fits into this logic without forcing it. The site is another piece absorbed into a slow urban life that seems to have lost its footing under the pressure of real estate investment surrounding it. The difficulty of the plot lies in its north-south orientation on the short sides, a tall party wall to the west, and a tall building to the east. The project worked with cardinal orientation, organising spaces so that the courtyard is present on almost every side of the ground floor, except the party wall. Towards the street, the house presents itself simply: a garden, a slatted fence, a corner entrance. Light and vegetation enter from multiple directions. The front courtyard, the back courtyard, and the lateral one are not decoration — they are extensions of daily life for a family of four, two adults and two young children.

The plan unfolds over three levels. The ground floor belongs to shared life — kitchen, living room, workspace, and the courtyards. On the first floor, each bedroom has its own balcony, oriented toward the eastern lateral courtyard. The second floor steps back, small in footprint, leaving room for a generous open terrace above.

Construction began during the pandemic and proceeded in stages, following the rhythm of the family and the place. The courtyard is still in progress — the last piece of a project built with patience.

Energy-efficient masonry and textured plaster — specific to the buildings of the area — define the materiality. A restrained palette that lets the courtyards and the light speak.

302 sqm · Bucharest · 2019—2025