Red-painted timber cladding and a white corrugated metal roof define the striking facade of House Comet, a family residence in Riga, Latvia, designed by the local architecture studio Gaiss.
The house is named after its location on Komētas Iela (Comet Street) in the suburbs of Riga. Covering 175 square metres, the design reinterprets the traditional Latvian barn, reflecting the unique context where urban development meets natural woodland.
“The neighbourhood is a transitional area between a recently developed apartment district and a preserved green forest zone in Riga,” Gaiss explained to Dezeen.
“Due to its location away from the city’s more densely populated areas, we felt that bold and distinctive architecture was well suited to this site,” the studio added.
The clients requested that the interior of House Comet be entirely finished in wood. In response, Gaiss constructed the building using glue-laminated timber frames and panels, leaving the wood exposed and staining it white for the walls and ceilings.
On the exterior, the lower portion is clad in deep red-painted timber planks, inspired by the traditional red barns of Sweden, where the family spends their winters skiing. The same red hue is used for the fence enclosing the garden, creating a unified look.
In contrast, the upper part of the house and its roof are finished in white corrugated metal, a nod to the client’s appreciation for Japanese architectural influences.
At the heart of the house, a spacious entrance hall divides the main bedroom from the double-height living, dining, and kitchen space. Above, a bridge-like landing connects the children’s bedrooms on the first floor, crossing over the central hall.
