A private client commissioned VVA to design a family summer home on a sloping 1,200 m² plot located on the first row of the sea in Bibinja, a small coastal town south of Zadar.

Given the small size of the plot relative to the aspired 600 m² of living space, the project called for a minimal overall footprint to maximise the garden area and privacy from surrounding properties.

The solution was to build three volumes: a subterranean one hosting utilities and garage; a ground level for living space and bedrooms, and a cantilevered upper one with additional living area and master bedroom. One additional benefit to the cantilevered level is being able to retract the ground level into the plot, providing a further degree of privacy from a costal public path in front of the property. As a whole, the volumes were oriented to maximise sea views for all of them.

Building the upper level, hovering 6 m, required a sophisticated hybrid construction combining steel and concrete, uncommon in Croatia, which added an additional challenge to what is now a successful project delivery.