Stone house in Bulgaria by I/O Architects features a veranda that steps up and down
I/O Architects raised one corner of this house in Bulgaria, creating a stepped veranda that stretches along the all-glazed facade (+ slideshow).
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Named Slight Slope Long House after both its shape and its site, the long narrow residence is the home of a young couple in Targovishte, a city in north-east Bulgaria.
The 672-square-metre house is mostly planned over one storey, but the natural slope of the site allowed I/O Architects to lift up one end of the floorplate and slot a generously-sized garage underneath.
![Slight slope long house by I-O Architects](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2015/02/Slight-slope-long-house-by-I-O-architects_dezeen_468_7.jpg)
This slope is highlighted by the veranda that spans the house's glazed south-facing wall. At first it gradually steps down to follow the gentle slope of the landscape, but about two-thirds of the way along it starts to rise again to create informal seating.
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"The topography of the park environment around the house resembles a cavea of an amphitheater," said architect Georgi Katov, referencing the seating sections of Roman theatres.
![Slight slope long house by I-O Architects](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2015/02/Slight-slope-long-house-by-I-O-architects_dezeen_468_3.jpg)
"The stepped veranda makes the connection between the terrain and the internal spaces, and also serves as an external connection between them," he told Dezeen.
![Slight slope long house by I-O Architects](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2015/02/Slight-slope-long-house-by-I-O-architects_dezeen_468_12.jpg)
Inside, the main storey is divided into four levels, each connected by a small set of stairs. Rooms are organised so that living spaces occupy the lowest levels, and the bedrooms are lifted slightly above ground for privacy.
![Slight slope long house by I-O Architects](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2015/02/Slight-slope-long-house-by-I-O-architects_dezeen_468_15.jpg)
"The biggest challenge was to procure privacy in the large structure," added the I/O Architects co-founder. "The height of the spaces changes in relation to their grade of privacy."
![Slight slope long house by I-O Architects](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2015/02/Slight-slope-long-house-by-I-O-architects_dezeen_468_14.jpg)
The house has walls of locally quarried Rhyolith stone, designed to give the building a sense of "massiveness". Glazing sits within large recesses, and some timber surfaces have been added inside and out.
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The main entrance sits alongside the garage at the lowest level level of the site. Inside, stairs lead up to a small entrance lobby at the front of the large open-plan living space.
![Slight slope long house by I-O Architects](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2015/02/Slight-slope-long-house-by-I-O-architects_dezeen_468_13.jpg)
The master bedroom is located at the western end of the building and is accessed though a study, while two guest bedrooms can be found at the eastern end of the house beyond a small secluded courtyard.
Photography is by Assen Emilov.
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