Ladders lead to sleeping platforms accommodated beneath the hipped roof of this simple Slovakian lake house, which local studio JRKVC designed without any corridors to utilise the available space (+ slideshow).

The small property was created by architect Peter Jurkovi?'s studio for a family of five who wanted a refuge that they could escape to from their busy lives in the nearby Slovakian capital, Bratislava.

The house is located on an island in the Danube river, which has a lake at its centre flanked by holiday properties that form part of the village of Vojka nad Dunajom.

Jurkovi?, whose previous projects include a house near Bratislava with an entirely glazed gable wall, wanted to create a holiday home that facilitates a simple countryside lifestyle.
Related story: Slovakian house by JRKVC features a glazed gable wall

The bungalow's main space is an open-plan central living area that looks out towards the lake through large glazed folding doors.

Functional elements including the kitchen counter, a fireplace and built-in storage are arranged around the edges of the room, leaving the floor free for furniture including the dining table and chairs.
"We had a maximum footprint of 65 square metres so the idea was to use it in the most efficient way," Jurkovi? told Dezeen. "With that in mind, I tried to propose a layout with no spare spaces such as corridors."

Partitions at either end separate the living space from the bedrooms and bathrooms...