ENOTA • Nova Gorica, Slovenia

The Stamboldžioski Dental Studio, in Nova Gorica, Slovenia, designed by ENOTA. Photo: Courtesy ENOTA

Stamboldžioski Dental Studio is located at the outskirts of Nova Gorica, Slovenia, in a residential community featuring mostly single-family homes. It has been built as a replacement for the cramped surgery in the dentist's private house, which was set up on the ground floor. It is therefore an annex, whose floor area exceeds that of the house it has been attached to. 

Due to the required floor area of the annex, which is more than double the size of the existing building, a relationship with the natural landscape was sought. The building is built on a slope, which allows its greater part to be set into the earth. This reduces its presence in the space despite the somewhat expressive appearance, which follows the building's function. 

The building partly surrounded by an earth berm. Photo: Courtesy ENOTA

This also allows the building to integrate well into the predominantly residential environment. The  green surfaces at the rear of the building seamless transition into its new green roof. The folded surface of the roof breaks up the building mass and marks the new entrance, which is separated from the house. 

The fact that the building is set into the earth, giving it less exposed wall area, also affects its energy consumption. And the building's exposed walls are extensively glazed to provide natural lighting for the interior working spaces. In combination with the trees in front of the large glass surfaces, that prevent the interior to overheat in summer, the surgery requires very little energy for heating and cooling.

Stamboldžioski Dental Studio ground-floor plan drawing. Image: ENOTA