SAR Project: Military Heritage Meets Coastal Sustainability

Building on History: Transforming Former Military Sites

The reuse of historical infrastructure exemplifies how heritage can be integrated with contemporary life needs. In this context, a coastal residence was constructed atop old military units dating back to the Soviet era, originally intended to protect the Baltic Sea’s coastal dunes, one of the world’s most environmentally fragile marine areas.

Sustainable Architecture and Design Flexibility

The project demonstrates how outdated and neglected sites can be transformed into functional residential spaces while preserving their historical value. Four grass-covered, time-worn military bunkers were discovered and subsequently converted into a main house along with two guest houses. This approach accommodates a family spanning three generations, reflecting design flexibility for modern family living.

Environmental and Cultural Reading

The project provides an important case study for understanding how sustainable architecture can balance heritage preservation, engagement with nature, and contemporary human needs. By reusing existing structures, it highlights the value of converting historical sites into livable, enduring spaces while minimizing the environmental impact of new construction.

Side view of a modern house integrated into grassy dunes with large glass facades and a grey fiber cement roof under a cloudy sky. — The architectural design balances visual clarity with environmental sensitivity, embedding the structure into the Baltic coastal dunes. (Image © Alvis Rozenbergs)

Close-up of the building's elevated structure showing a sheltered walkway underneath and a view of the sea in the distance. — The entrance is positioned underneath the main structure, creating a sense of elevation and a direct visual link to the Baltic Sea. (Image © Alvis Rozenbergs)

Site and Environmental Impact

The holiday residence is located on the Latvian coast, where strong northern winds influence the natural environment, including ancient trees affected by their movement. This residence was designed as a retreat for multi-generational families, taking into account local climatic conditions and their impact on the building’s design and materials and functionality.

Shelter as a Cultural and Environmental Element

The project serves as a study of how shelter relates to its surrounding environment. The residence not only provides a place to live but also reflects the quiet resilience of the local inhabitants, linking the local history with contemporary life needs. It can be referenced in the Archive of adaptive residential projects.

Contemporary Interpretation of Local History

By integrating elements of the past with modern requirements, the project presents a model for approaching architectural heritage in a way that respects both the environment and local culture. This approach allows for a deeper understanding of the role of shelter in shaping human experience across generations, while maintaining the site’s sustainability and family-oriented functionality.

Architectural floor plan of the ground floor of the SAR project showing the layout over existing bunker foundations. — The ground floor plan reveals the strategic placement of the residence over historical bunker structures to minimize environmental impact.

Roof Design as a Focal Element

The steeply pitched dual roof of the main family house stands out as a key design element, combining adherence to local architectural regulations with the capacity for contemporary expression. This type of roof provides visual clarity and structural coherence, enhancing the residence’s character as a multi-generational family space.

Reinterpreting Architectural Heritage

While the design aligns with traditional standards, fiber cement panels were used to introduce a contemporary touch, partly inspired by Soviet-era architectural elements in the region. This approach demonstrates how architectural history can be integrated with modern innovation, giving the project a flexible identity that bridges past and present.

Technical Challenges and Innovative Solutions

The project faced a technical challenge in installing a large roof above an expansive glass facade. This was addressed by developing a custom metal framework that serves a dual role as both a structural and aesthetic element, illustrating how contemporary architecture can navigate technical constraints without compromising visual or functional quality.

Interior of a modern living room with high vaulted wooden ceilings, minimalist furniture, and architectural lighting fixtures. — Minimalist interiors emphasize honesty in materials, featuring expansive wooden ceilings and an open-plan layout for multi-generational living. (Image © Alvis Rozenbergs)

Second Floor as the Hub of Daily Life

Daily use of the main residence begins on the second floor, with the entrance located beneath the structure, providing a sense of elevation and connection to the surrounding natural environment. Rising above the horizon of the Baltic Sea, the house conveys a feeling of flight while remaining anchored to the historic foundations of the old military bunkers.

Innovative Use of Space

The house forms a bridge spanning the foundations of two military bunkers, an innovative architectural solution that increases living space with minimal impact on the surrounding environment. This approach reflects the contemporary design’s ability to adapt to spatial and historical constraints in a sustainable and flexible manner.

Integrating Nature and Heritage

The guest houses were inspired by the original bunkers in form and appearance, featuring grass-covered roofs that blend seamlessly with local wildlife habitats. This integration between the buildings and untamed nature creates a unique mix of stability and fluidity, making the contrast between the sense of flight and groundedness the defining feature of the spatial experience in the residence.

Minimalist bedroom interior with light wood wall paneling and built-in wooden bed frame and shelving. — Interior rhythm is guided by natural light and a tactile material palette, fostering a deep connection with the surroundings. (Image © Alvis Rozenbergs)

View through a large square window from a minimalist interior looking out at concrete walls and a grassy slope. — Large windows frame the landscape, blurring the boundaries between the built environment and the untamed coastal nature. (Image © Alvis Rozenbergs)

Detailed view of the gabled roof structure and outdoor terrace with glass railings overlooking the grassy dunes. — The double-pitched roof provides visual coherence and serves as a contemporary expression of local architectural regulations. (Image © Alvis Rozenbergs)

A small guest house with a grey facade and a thick turf roof standing behind tall pine tree trunks. — The guest houses re-interpret the bunker aesthetic, offering a quiet, resilient shelter that respects local history and ecology. (Image © Alvis Rozenbergs)

Simplicity and Honesty in Interior Design

The interior architectural language emphasizes austerity and simplicity, focusing on the honest expression of materials and details. The design relies on minimalist elements such as wooden finishes, concrete floors, and textured materials that highlight tactile value over color, enhancing a complete sensory experience and creating a strong sense of connection to the place.

Guiding Daily Rhythm Through Natural Light

The interior layout encourages residents to follow the natural rhythm of daily life. Morning light floods the main living area, while the windows of the master bedroom capture sunset views. The use of transparent glass facades strengthens the connection with the surrounding environment, dissolving the boundaries between nature and built space. This approach reflects sustainable architecture principles in practice.

Lightness of Design and Environmental Impact

This project exemplifies coastal design that seeks integration with the environment rather than domination over it. The residence is built lightly above the ground, minimizing its visual impact on the natural landscape, reflecting a philosophy of sustainable architecture based on respecting and blending with nature.

Aerial view of the SAR project residence and guest houses with grass-covered roofs nestled among pine trees by the Baltic coast. — Guest houses are inspired by the original bunkers, featuring grass-covered roofs that blend seamlessly with the wild coastal habitat. (Image © Alvis Rozenbergs)

✦ ArchUp Editorial Insight

While the SAR project provides an example of integrating military heritage with coastal sustainability, the practical application of certain architectural solutions raises questions about their scalability. The focus on visual integration with the environment and the use of bunkers as a residential foundation demonstrates the design’s ability to respond to site constraints, yet it relies on exceptional site-specific conditions that are difficult to replicate in other projects. Similarly, technical solutions such as metal frameworks supporting glass roofs, while effective in this context, could increase complexity and cost in similar projects.

On the other hand, the interior elements emphasize simplicity and natural materials, a sustainable approach, but this may limit functional diversity or future expansion of the house. This raises an important consideration for architects and researchers: how can the experimental and sensory aspects of design be balanced with practical sustainability and potential future residential growth?

The project can serve as a valuable case study for understanding the interplay between heritage and innovation, site and function, sustainability and technology, while recognizing the real-world constraints that natural and historical contexts impose on scalability and practical implementation. For further research, similar projects can be explored in the Projects section.