Split Level House / OFIS Architects

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Text description provided by the architects. Večna pot, which means “eternal way” in the Slovenian language, is the name of one of the longest streets in Ljubljana. It connects two distant districts of the city, most of it running through an ancient forest on the slopes of the hills that now form part of Tivoli Park. According to some historical sources, the road is said to have existed in prehistoric times when the Ljubljana basin was still a lake and the pile dwellings culture flourished on the slopes past which Večna pot now runs. The villa was built on what was once the shore of a lake that dried up in prehistoric times. The area was at risk of flooding until recently when regulation systems were built. The pre-regulation era led to the evolution of a building typology of houses with a raised ground floor. Basements were semi-underground which reduced the danger of flood damage. Access to the ground floor where the main living space was located developed into a unique architectural element: the portico.