Beach house reuses abandoned military bunkers in Latvia

OAD restores Soviet military depots as beach house in Latvia

SAR is coastal residential project designed by Open Architecture Design (OAD) on the coastline of Saraiki Latvia. The house is built on the ruins of Soviet-era military warehouses originally built to protect the fragile habitats of the Baltic coastal dunes. The project adapts these existing structures into a housing complex consisting of a main house and two guest houses for a multi-generational family.

The site contained four abandoned warehouses partially covered by vegetation. Rather than removing them, the design incorporates these foundations into the new residential scheme. The intervention reuses the structures as a base for the main residence and two smaller hostels, creating a relationship between the existing military infrastructure and the new residential environment.

The main house is defined by a large double slope roof which follows local architectural regulations while introducing a contemporary material expression. Fiber cement panels overlay the roof surface, evoking the material language associated with Soviet-era construction. To support the roof over a glass facadeOAD developed a custom metal frame that functions as both a structural solution and a visible architectural element. The main living areas are located on the second floor, while the entrance is located under the elevated volume. The house spans two warehouse foundations, effectively bridging each other. This configuration increases the internal floor area while limiting the direct impact on the surrounding landscape.

a wooden path leads to the Latvian beach with white sand | all images from Alvis Rosenberg

The SAR residence reinterprets the form of the original warehouses

The two hostels draw directly from the form of the original warehouses. Their low volumes are covered with grass roofs, allowing them to visually merge with the coastal terrain while expanding habitat conditions for local fauna. The contrast between the elevated main residence and the grounded accommodation structures defines the spatial organization of the site. One element appears floating above the landscape, while the others remain embedded within it.

Inside the main house, the interior decoration from studio Open Architecture Design – OAD emphasizes limited material choices and simple detailing. Wood finishes, exposed concrete floors and tactile surfaces define the interior environment. The layout responds to natural daylight conditions. The main living room is oriented to receive the morning light, while the master bedroom includes openings directed towards the sunset view of the Baltic Sea. A continuous glass facade enhances the visual connection between the interior spaces and the surrounding coastal landscape.

Through the reuse of existing foundations and the careful placement of new construction, the SAR project explores how domestic architecture can be integrated into a historically layered coastal environment while limiting its physical footprint on the site.

double pitched roof complies with local architectural regulations

roofs covered with wild grasses expand the habitats of the local fauna