Modern Reinterpretation Of A Traditional Romanian House

This is Casa G3, an intriguing residence which can be found in Otopeni, near Bucharest, the capital of Romania. The project included the consolidation and expansion of an existing house and was completed in 2015 by LAMA Archtiectura, a studio founded by two young architects, Calin Radu and Dan Enache linked by a common passion for candid design.

Casa G3 in Otopeni original house and extension
Casa G3 in Otopeni original house and extension closeup view

The two share the same vision and they use it to give each project a logo, something to identify it by, something which gives it character. They establish this after analyzing the project’s thematic, the client’s wishes as well as the site and the context.

Casa G3 in Otopeni redesigned original house

When redesigning the existing structure and creating the overall residence now known as Casa G3, the architects faced a series of challenges unique to the site and the project. The original house covered an area of 100 square meters and included a basement, a ground floor, a first floor and an attic.

Casa G3 in Otopeni sculptural pitched roof extension

Its structure was preserves but its appearance changes. This is now a modern reinterpretation of the traditional pitched-roof house.

Casa G3 in Otopeni architecture at night

The extension which was added to the existing building has a contemporary shape and design, sharing similarities with what is known as origami, in this case made of concrete. Th extension is attached to the old house, a visual and spatial dialogue being established between them.

Casa G3 in Otopeni extension at night

The new entrance to the house is situated at the point where the two volumes (the original house and the extension) meet. The entrance area unified these volumes, establishing a strong and natural connection between them.

Casa G3 in Otopeni pool and wooden deck
Casa G3 in Otopeni pool at night

The new extension houses a spacious and airy living space while the remaining spaces are contained within the old structure. Together, these two volumes incorporate all the necessary elements for a comfortable and inviting family home.

Casa G3 in Otopeni connection between volumes and entrance
Casa G3 in Otopeni central hallway

A large wooden deck wraps around both these volumes, further emphasizing the connection they share. The wooden deck also establishes a sense of continuity throughout the residence, for both the interior and the exterior spaces.

Casa G3 in Otopeni entrance viewed from inside

An extension of the wooden deck incorporates the swimming pool with its adjacent terrace. The exterior spaces are dominated by a concrete canopy with a sculptural and simplistic design. This canopy shelter’s an outdoor living space furnished with comfortable seating and accent lighting.

Casa G3 in Otopeni outdoor living area

The palette of materials used for this project includes gray folded metal sheets used for the roof, exposed concrete for the walls and ceiling, wood for the flooring and deck and tiles recovered from the original roof now used as decorations for the exterior accent wall. The wooden beams featured inside were recovered from the old design.

Casa G3 in Otopeni wooden beams preserved
Casa G3 in Otopeni skylight

The basement level houses a wine cellar and a utility room. The living room, and a partially-covered terrace are contained within the new extension, on the ground floor. The kitchen, dining area, a lounge space, wardrobe and a bathroom are house inside the original volume, also on the ground floor.

Casa G3 in Otopeni interior living area oak floor
Casa G3 in Otopeni living room fireplace

The original house volume was designed to also include a loft area where the main bedroom with a dressing area and bathroom, a guest bedroom and the children’s bedroom are located. A ladder offers access from the children’s bedroom into a separate bedroom situated on top of the ground floor bathroom.

Casa G3 in Otopeni kitchen design

Casa G3 in Otopeni interior design

As you can see, the architects managed to make the most of what they could preserve from the original structure and design and then added an extension meant to make the entire project follow a modern and intriguing design with lots of character.

Casa G3 in Otopeni attic wooden roof