Header: Assen Emilov
The private house is located near the Black Sea town of Sozopol and is situated on a plot with a panoramic sea view. The project, undertaken by the Bulgarian architecture studio Simple Architecture, consists of a partial reconstruction and a complete visual transformation of the existing house.
Simple Architecture, founded by Alexander Yonchev in 2017, is widely known for the various projects they undertake around the world, both public and private, having been recognised with many international awards. Alexander Yonchev is a Bulgarian architect who studied at the prestigious École Nationale Supérieure d’Architecture de Saint-Étienne in France, having gained a lot of professional experience from his time spent in Italy and on the French Riviera.
Encompassing tradition
The original house was built around 15 years ago in a style imitating the authentic Sozopol architectural elements and materials: a multitude of inclined roofs with tiles, facade planking and tile cladding, bay windows, and arches. The wish of the contractor has been to achieve the exact opposite effect: to have a contrasting, memorable, minimalistic, and contemporary architecture.
The biggest challenge of the project has been to reduce, as much as possible, the cluster of geometries and to emphasize the constructive principle of the building by making some spatial and organizational improvements to the interior.
A lightweight interior
The guiding idea of this project has been to create a light, elegant, and ethereal atmosphere that dominates through the sea view and the constantly changing colours of the surrounding nature. Both the interior and the exterior have been decided in nuances of white, with the only colourful touch being the works of art present in the house.
The courtyard has various relaxation areas, each with its own unique qualities, thus guaranteeing a diverse experience of the exterior. In terms of organisation, the three-story house has one big common area, which includes a living room, a kitchen, and a dining room.
There are also four bedrooms, four bathrooms, two toilets, and storage and service rooms. The furnishing, with its plastic, abstract, and non-standard forms, has been carefully selected to create the overall feeling of being in an art gallery.
