On the Croatian island of Cres, this old stone house, measuring just 3 meters by 3 meters, was renovated by the OFIS architectural firm while preserving its historic exterior.
Behind its well-preserved facade lies a radical contemporary redesign…
The new wooden structure fits seamlessly within the existing walls, like a livable piece of furniture that breathes new life into this once-abandoned space.
On the ground floor, the kitchen makes the most of every available centimeter. The custom design reflects the focus on compactness that guides the entire project.
Furniture plays a key role in the spatial organization of the home. The central island thus defines the different functional areas while allowing the eye to move freely throughout the space.
Here, the staircase, load-bearing structure, and storage space are all one and the same. An ingenious solution to the challenges of a small living space.
Assembled from simple wooden battens, the structure forms a regular grid that ensures stability, transparency, and architectural unity.
The design unfolds vertically around a single volume, with spaces flowing into one another without excessive partitioning.
Built-in alcoves help preserve the occupants’ privacy in this entirely open interior. A simple curtain is all it takes to transform these alcoves into secluded resting spaces.
The absence of stair risers enhances the feeling of lightness and helps natural light flow throughout the entire house.
Thanks to a particularly efficient vertical layout, the project manages to incorporate several sleeping areas within a minimal footprint.
Overhead light filters through the openwork floors, creating a delicate interplay of light and shadow within the space and revealing the architectural finesse of the design.
The architects have taken space optimization to the extreme, as seen in the open-work floors that are just 4 centimeters thick. This solution is as elegant as it is practical, born out of the construction constraints specific to the island of Cres, where transporting materials is often complicated.
