We were asked to design a summer/retreat house in the remote island of Pug in northern Croatia. An area of rugged beauty, our proposal needed to consider the strong winds and high salinity of the air, not only in terms of materials but in the actual design and layouts.

The aspiration of the client was to build a house that would become part of the landscape, providing an experience of deep communion with the land.

Our vision echoes the sparsity of the terrain via two thin stacked boxes that embed themselves into a slope ending in the sea, 36m below.

In summer, the building opens itself almost completely through a system of retractable timber panels. With only the roof’s elegant slab of concrete delineating its profile, the house becomes virtually transparent, save for a “magic box” that discreetly encloses the kitchen, bathrooms and connecting staircase.

The lower box is in some ways the reverse of the upper. Whilst the latter is eminently sea facing, the lower level’s focus is on an excavated patio at the rear, providing the bedrooms with a retreat and cocooned space away from the sea winds.