This home to a family of four located near Belgrade consists of levels. The clients are a married couple with two children who had a strictly defined budget and a strong desire for a modern home. “Level House” represents a structure whose levels are seen in the floor but are complemented by spaces of different heights. A playful exploration of the interaction between volume and openness gives an intriguing character to the home - both within and without.

The topography of the terrain prompts us to relate to the architectural object in a different way. Observing the house from the street, we notice that, from the garage situated at its lowest point, it climbs, step by step, to the main floor. Adherence to a variety of forms is emphasized by the front garden, which serves to divide the daytime and evening zones and to declare a monumental entrance to the house. Additionally, the garden’s sloped construction allows an abundance of light from the south to pour into the living room. As such, it serves as an extension of the living room itself.

The side of the house which faces away from the street and onto the rear garden is tamer and opens up to a grassy surface at its level. The facade here is irregular, embellished with great strokes, though less dramatic in appearance than the side that faces the street. The dining room and kitchen face the rear garden where most of the family’s quality time and meals are enjoyed, especially during the summer period.

A construction grid of 5x5 meters lends practicality and economy to the building. The optimal dimensions of children’s bedrooms are supplemented by big openings to ensure effective exposure to the nature that surrounds the house. The master bedroom is shielded from direct exposure to the skylight, which penetrates through the sleeping area and provides additional light to the dining room.

The staircase serves as a pillar around which the rest of the space is formed. It both differentiates and ties together the functions of the space, vertically as well as horizontally. The interior is flowing and well-illuminated, the result of a generous but thoughtful relationship between openness and mass. The different heights of the living room, dining room and bedrooms, all permeated with light, make this environment a pleasure to experience, and endow the optimally utilized space with maximum satisfaction.