situated on a picturesque hill in hincesti,  moldova , villa acer is a bespoke  house  designed for a middle-aged family. the 135 sqm residence was completed by architect  maxim calujac , offering a pleasant balance between minimalist geometries, comfort, and warmth.

the house features two main areas: the bedrooms, bound by a corridor to grant owners privacy, and an active social area hosting the kitchen/ dining/ living room. the latter is met by a glass curtain wall that offers a pleasant view of the landscape — creating a gentle dialogue between villa acer’s geometry and its surroundings. 

wanting to cut off construction time and offer a sustainable and simple design solution, calujac (see more  here ) built the core of villa acer using a wooden framework carried by a slab foundation. the facades are essentially covered with warm-toned ayous thermowood, exuding a homely and personal touch to the overall design. 

framing the wooden volume is a concrete beam that sits in front of the main facade like an undulating sculpture. seen from the road, the beam shields the house from unwanted sights, while its curved profile highlights the villa’s rectangular lines and adds to the balance of contrasts.

the gap leading to the main entrance

the minimalist approach also appears in the choice of interior finishes; the architect covered the walls with wooden panels, shaped the floor with polished concrete, and elevated that overall neutral tone with distinct furniture accents. as calujac puts it, ‘ everything is knitted together to end up in a space that does not burden day-to-day life.’

finally, as this is a place for rest, the family wanted to preserve the main characteristics of the terrain. this would allow anyone who visits villa acer to find themselves peacefully connected to the roots and the land. 

facades covered with ayous thermowood

the contrast between concrete and wood

concrete beam detail – front view

concrete beam detail – side view

wooden walls gently balanced by a polished concrete floor

location: hincesti, republic of moldova architecture: maxim calujac

design team: iulia moscalet, irina dubinschi, roman lecari, andrei gurulea photography: etalpmet 

designboom has received this project from our DIY submissions feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.

edited by: lea zeitoun | designboom

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