Salthouse by Brigita Bula Architects is located on the edge of the Pavilosta historical center where all the streets cross at perpendicular angles on a grid that abuts the sea.
Pāvilosta has a temperate climate and strong wind, so the building was constructed with thick, monolithic, lime-plastered blocks, with no additional insulation necessary. The cross-section of the one-story building was inspired by traditional fishermen's houses prevalent in the area, with an interior that opens to the building’s full height and width.
Within, open and closed spaces overlap, providing a semi-transparent space of both openness and intimacy. The architect's vision of how the architectural concept should be made is to consider tradition, climate, landscape, ecology both of materials and processes, abilities of local craftsmen and builders, contemporary technological requirements, needs and budget of the client, and many more.
To create her subtle architectural language, architect Brigita Bula takes into account all these aspects, and only then architecture that fits into the place and minds of the people is born. Salt House is the answer to all the questions and considerations above, in the exact place and time - Pavilosta, Latvia, now. The house is located 50 kilometres from Liepaja and 250km from the capital city Riga, right on the seashore of Pavilosta – a small seaside town of fishermen, water sports fans, nature lovers, and a tranquil atmosphere. Town's historical centre is filled with low gable-roof houses and has a historically unique orthogonal street plan.
Each of the perpendicularly intersecting streets eventually leads to the beach, and the sea can be seen from afar, creating a special atmosphere. 240-square-metre, one-storey house is set in a seaside meadow as a simple, narrow, elongated horizontal volume that draws a thin sea wave-like line in the surrounding undulating landscape, leaving as small an imprint in the existing biotope as possible. The colourful and lively flowerbed in the front of the house is made by selecting and cultivating local plants, herbs, and flowers from the surrounding meadows. The house reminisces a sand dune that catches all the salt carried by the sea breeze.
Therefore the name - Salt house. This idea is reflected in the natural material of the facade - natural lime plaster, which is similar in its structure and colour to the coarse salt. There are certain reasons why seaside houses in Pavilosta look different from everywhere else in Latvia.
