Designed by OFIS Architects, Alpine Skiing Apartments is located in the Slovenian alpine town Kranjska Gora on the northwestern corner of the country. The brief required a public ground floor and small apartments on the upper floor that could be converted into bigger units.

The concept design was initially dictated by strict local building regulations, height and footprint plot limit which partially led to the building form. The first step was pasting maximum volume on the site -a cube on the allowed urban footprint. The final form derived from cutting the cube in the vertical and horizontal planes.

Horizontal cut – pitched roof with a flat top to hide service ventilation pipes and chimneys. Vertical cut – angled corners with inserted wooden balconies allowing the building a softer, less substantial volume appearance.
The pharmacy is located on the ground floor with larger glazed elements and a recessed entrance creating a more open and inviting level for the public space. First and second floors contain 6 studio apartments of different sizes, each with own balcony and large glazed opening affording views towards the surrounding mountains. The basement level is a communal space with a shared area, sauna and leisure room.

The materials used have also been chosen as a response to the local historical tradition, using materials to emulate those of the existing building environment. Cement tile cladding as the principal material which visually gives the impressi...