Set within the coastal landscape of Giruliai near Klaipėda, the Kopos žuvėdra settlement proposes relaxed living in the middle of a pine forest.
Occupying a five-hectare site on the Lithuanian coast of Girulai, a residential project offers exceptional architecture among centuries-old pine trees besides the picturesque line of the coast. Before all else, the name “kopos žuvėdra” – “dune seagull” – establishes a connection between architecture and nature. Following that premise, the development pursues a clear ambition: contemporary life among calming natural elements.
The architects worked with a specific focus on the unique landscape. Three different types of houses and a spa centre bring variety into the development while keeping a coherent overall feeling by extensively using brick. Next to the cylindrical Slope Houses and the symmetrical Alley houses, the boldly geometrical Valley Houses show an interesting interplay of generous windows and solid walls in a soft red brown.
The concept evolved amongst the surrounding natural environment, so it was a central concern to work with natural materials. Both the client and the architects were looking for façade bricks of specific dimensions, surfaces and colours to resemble the pine tree trunks. With wienerberger’s brick products and colour range, the architects had a wide selection to choose from. From dark brown to light red and from all shades of yellow to an exceptional white.
For two of the house types, wienerberger façade bricks were selected. For the Valley Houses, the architects chose Retro Varia WS UWF60 – a textured, matte brick in a soft reddish-brown tone with a waterstruck finish. To install the bricks, they were cut into clinker tiles. “We wanted to create sculptural houses that speak to nature, harmonizing with its materials and form”, says Dominykas Kalmatavičius, architect at G. Natkevičius ir partneriai.
All residential homes are embedded within a 140-year-old pine forest – this environment defined the character of the project. Instead of clearing land to create visual dominance, the design preserves the continuity of the forest, allowing the residents to live within a mature ecosystem. “When we arrived at the future construction site and saw the expressive terrain with many pine trees, it was difficult to imagine how the villas would fit among the trees”, says Kalmatavičius.
Nevertheless, the architects found solutions to place the houses subtly among the old treescape, to preserve them and enhance the experience for the future residents. Kopos žuvėdra ultimately presents a vision of balance: between forest and form, privacy and openness, modernity and tranquillity. The goal was less about building in nature than about building with it – allowing everyday life to unfold at the pace of rustling pines and coastal wind.
Get in contact with us
.jpg)
.jpg)
