It’s hard to tell whether the building designed by Formafatal architect studio or its surroundings are the more gorgeous. The villa hiding in the middle of the forest looks like a large terrace from afar, offering a view all the way to the Pacific Ocean.
We can rarely use the words “ethereal” and “raw” to describe the same thing, but presenting Atelier Villa is one these very rare occasions. The building designed by Czech architect studio Formafatal is almost floating amidst the lush tropical plant life, while its textures colored in earthy tones, the concrete, the aluminum, the iron and the various tropical trees (teakwood, Brazilian walnut) ground it to the earth very much.
The villa forms part of the Art Villas Resort group, with two other summer residences and a multifunctional pavilion. The entire complex was designed by Formafatal architect Dagmar Štěpánová. The latest Atelier Villa was made for the owner and his family.
One side of the 26-meter long building with a rectangular layout offers a splendid view to the jungle and the ocean reaching on the horizon. The other side is its exact opposite: the monolithic, black facade facing the street remained windowless for the sake of privacy. However, (or perhaps that’s exactly why) it’s still quite spectacular. The wooden facade was charred black with the ancient Japanese technique known as Shou Sugi Ban, making it resistant against environmental and weather impacts for several decades.
The allocation of space within the villa also follows this minimalist line set out by its floorplan. The kitchen, the bathroom and the storage units are located along the black wall, to leave the open spaces for the bedrooms and the living room. Here, the boundaries between inside and outside merge almost completely – one might feel as if they were on a gigantic terrace. Not in the least surprisingly, the villa is also equipped with a waveless pool. Allowing the residents to use it under the hot sun, it is partially covered with a roof.
With a few exceptions (the resting and dining chairs), almost every equipment and furniture in the interior was custom-designed and manufactured for the villa. Here, Formafatal worked with local craftsmen but also sneaked in some remarkable Czech design pieces, such as the lamps of Bomma.
Dagmar Štěpánová leading Formafatal and his team fell in love with the job so much that currently they are designing their own headquarters in Costa Rica – quite understandably, we must admit.
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