Living close to nature

Saborsko, a small town in inland Croatia surrounded by mountains and waterfalls, is home to a large single-family villa that effortlessly combines the primal energy of nature with the charisma of contemporary design. The project draws inspiration from the mountainous region’s vernacular architecture – the set of building solutions that have developed spontaneously over time in response to climate, materials and techniques – while also adopting modern, innovative design solutions to create fluid, hybrid and comfortable spaces.

Envisioned principally as a holiday home, the house was designed by ZDL Architects, a practice with offices in Rijeka (Croatia) and Belgrade (Serbia) that always begins its projects with a detailed analysis of the context. This case was no exception. “To respect the home’s strong connection to its setting, we devoted careful attention to the choice of materials,” the studio’s founders explained in an interview, noting that sustainability was also a decisive factor. The result is a building that makes predominant use of laminated wood for both the structure and cladding, together with extensive porcelain stoneware-clad surfaces to establish a dialogue with the surrounding nature.

In particular, Marazzi collections were chosen for the entire outdoor area. The pool decking is tiled with the Mystone Quarzite line, which as the name suggests recalls natural black quartzite, while the pool itself is clad with Mystone Bluestone, inspired by Soignies stone. References to natural materials continue inside the bathrooms: the bathtub wall and shower floor are finished with Mystone Limestone, its stone-like effect echoing the rough textures of the mountains, while the shower wall is clad with large-format Grande Marble Look panels that reproduce the veins and hues of marble. The wellness area features the distinctive textures of Mystone Ardesia, inspired by the sedimentary rock of the same name. Another striking feature is the Jacuzzi room, where the walls are covered with the glossy, intentionally irregular bricks of the Crogiolo Lume series. This is the only exception to the choice of surfaces inspired directly by nature, including the ash-coloured porcelain stoneware from the Mystone Ardesia collection used in the living room and kitchen. The result is a constant dialogue with nature, both inside and outside the home.