HOUSE COMET
Gaiss
ARCHITECTS
Gaiss
PROJECT ARCHITECTS
Arnita Melzoba, Kārlis Melzobs
DESIGN TEAM
Gaiss
PHOTOGRAPHS
Madara Kuplā
AREA
175 m²
YEAR
2024
LOCATION
Riga, Latvia
CATEGORY
Residential Architecture, Houses
English description provided by the architects.
House Comet is a dwelling for a young and creative family in a green, secluded neighborhood of Riga near the Daugava River.
The interaction of urban and rural scenes is the impulse for a vivid red house with a gleaming triangular roof, featuring terraces and openings for active outdoor living.
Solid timber panel construction combines structural and aesthetic quality. The building consists of a linear volume of wooden panels, surrounded on the ground floor by red wood planks and a metallic corrugated steel triangular roof.
Simple basic shapes in pure materiality are combined with characteristic details.
Vertical red timber cladding wraps the ground floor, folding inward to create a warm entrance and sheltered terraces. The bold hue extends into the garden fence, blurring the lines between house and landscape.
The spatial plan incorporates the idea of the house's longevity and an evolving household composition. To ensure the home functions well as children grow up and move out, the children's rooms are very compact and can be combined if needed.
In the building's linear layout, the living spaces are arranged to gradually transition from private to shared areas — from small, compact rooms to large, open communal spaces.
On the eastern side, at the entrance, are the bedrooms and bathrooms, followed by a generous, full-height living area that integrates the kitchen.
The entrance hall serves as the central circulation node, connecting all zones of the house — both floors, the front courtyard, and the garden.
This space opens up the full cross-section of the building, visually and physically linking the interior to the garden beyond.
Inside, the glued laminated timber panels are left exposed, clearly revealing the home's structural framework and material character.
The concrete floor indoors flows seamlessly into the wooden-deck terraces outside, which wrap around the southern and western facades, while large glazed openings ensure a strong and continuous connection to the garden.
Designed with sustainability in mind, the house offers a healthy indoor microclimate and high energy efficiency.
The design maximizes solar gain through the windows, while extended roof overhangs provide shading to prevent overheating in summer.
Wood is the principal material used in the structure, finishes, and insulation, reinforcing the building's ecological and tactile qualities.
