Octav Silviu Olănescu is an Associate Professor PhD Architect at the Faculty of Architecture and Urban Planning, Technical University of Cluj-Napoca, and co-founder of the architecture office Studio 82 in Cluj-Napoca. His personal and research interests focus on urban design and its relationship with the concept of sustainability, exploring the relationship and symbiosis that can be established between the built environment and the natural environment. Another theme addressed in his research concerns the process of urban regeneration and how it can be realized, considering the contextual relationships specific to each place. His teaching/research and practice in architecture and urbanism have been materialized through publications and specialized studies, participation in national and international conferences and exhibitions. His work has been recognized through winning various national and international awards.

House B is situated in a recently developed urban context of the Municipality of Zalău, characterized by an atypical urbanization process for built environment developments over the last three decades: a neighborhood of houses with wide streets, equipped with sidewalks on both sides, separated from the roadway by a strip of vegetation. The positioning of the house on a generous plot, with a gentle slope oriented towards the city, was designed to capitalize on the available view from both the interior spaces and the exterior areas of the house. The existing mature vegetation has been preserved and integrated as much as possible into the ambiance of the exterior landscaping. The interior functional layout was designed considering the relationships between the functional specifics of the interior and exterior spaces. The slope of the land enhances the dynamic relationship between the day and night areas, with the main entrance to the house located at an intermediate level between these two zones. The functional succession of the day area focuses on creating a fluid space (kitchen, dining area, living room), defined by archetypal objects specific to living: a solid wood table and a fireplace with openings in two directions – the hearth of the house. The volumetry of the house aims to achieve functional separation of the landscaped plot, ensuring degrees of privacy specific to individual living: the entrance area – the interface with the public domain, the protected inner courtyard, spaces shielded by the structured landscaping vegetation (in the area of the master bathroom and bedroom), and the free land area for various family activities. The materials for the finishes were chosen based on criteria of durability and good performance over time: natural stone, wood for joinery and interior finishes, and metal for the joinery exposed to weather conditions.