We were honored to take part in the Building Home 2022 Conference, 🏛️✨
dedicated to the theme “House Design Transformations – from Standard to Custom”, a topic of high relevance in the current context of residential architecture. The event created an important platform for reflecting on how standard housing models can be reinterpreted through design, in order to respond to evolving lifestyles, new domestic functions, and the increasing demand for individuality and sustainability.
In our presentation, we discussed two residential projects that exemplify this passage from standard typologies to customized architectural solutions. The first case, the Cosmopolis House (175 sqm, three levels, completed in 2020), was conceived as a comprehensive reconfiguration of a typical dwelling, adapted to contemporary needs such as remote work and fluid living. The entrance level was reorganized to accommodate a home office, while the day zone was reimagined as an open plan integrating the staircase and kitchen into a single coherent spatial flow. The upper floor was transformed into a dedicated master suite, thus redefining the spatial hierarchy of the house. At the level of finishes, the intervention replaced standard materials with premium solutions in neutral tones and natural wood, enriched with textured and chromatic accents to enhance sensory perception. This architectural transformation was complemented by the integration of a Smart Home system, aligning domestic space with current standards of efficiency and comfort.
The second project, the Greenfield House (436 sqm, basement and three levels, initiated in 2021 and ongoing in 2022), illustrates a more complex transformation that not only restructured the functional layout in accordance with the beneficiaries’ requirements, but also redefined the relationship between the interior and its natural setting. Large glazed surfaces were introduced to frame direct views toward the surrounding forest, while terraces were expanded to encourage outdoor living and a deeper interaction with nature. The material palette was elevated through the use of stone-inspired cladding and wood accents, reinforcing the tactile and visual identity of the residence. Beyond its aesthetic and spatial qualities, the project was conceived as a green home, integrating sustainable systems such as a heat pump, underfloor heating, mechanical ventilation with heat recovery, smart lighting, and solar panels for water heating, thereby aligning architectural design with principles of ecological responsibility.
Through these two case studies, we sought to demonstrate how architectural transformations can transcend the limitations of standard housing, generating spaces that are at once functional, aesthetically coherent, and responsive to contemporary aspirations. In this sense, both Cosmopolis and Greenfield highlight the capacity of design to operate as a transformative process — a means of converting generic structures into customized environments that reflect lifestyle, identity, and sustainability.
We express our sincere gratitude to the organizers of Building Home 2022 for the opportunity to share these experiences within a framework that encourages professional dialogue and advances the discourse on the future of residential design.
More on the website: https://romaniaconstruieste.ro/eveniment/building-home-2022/
