Villa Alma

Fairytale, private garden, 2022.

Location

Villa Alma and its garden are located in a famous wine-growing region near Vižinada in Istria, surrounded by Malvasia and Teran vineyards. In addition to its wine tradition and vast vineyards and olive groves, the location is characterized by a pleasant sub-Mediterranean climate and hilly terrain.

Design note

A modern, simple, yet imposing structure, it is the center of a sloping plot of about 5,000 m2. The character of the owner is in relation to the building, so the garden needed to embrace these qualities – to be a visible, yet unobtrusive entity in the wider space of the cultivated landscape.

The basis of the design are tall volumes of trees, deciduous and evergreen species. They envelop an intimate space that intrigues the passerby, and at the same time form a clear barrier – one must be invited. The lawn area and plant beds of the middle floor are defined by the strict shapes of the edges of the built objects – they support them with their simple shape and soften them with a complex internal composition and cushion-like forms. The evergreen shrubs and perennials, calm in tone and color, form the aesthetic basis and constant of the garden, as well as the experience. The dotted appearance of deciduous plants within the garden composition makes the garden dynamic throughout the year, allowing for an explosion of impressive colors characteristic of each season.

The garden contains several sections: clean areas of meadow with trees, lawn, mixed flower beds, higher volumes of hedges and a retaining wall dressed in climbing plants, a roof garden, and an atrium garden in the center of the building itself.