... He was thinking more and more about projects he could make using only his hands, only for himself. Four old railroad cars, positioned to make a square so as to close off a patio, adapted for dwelling purposes. Somewhere far away from everything... (Antun Šoljan, The Port).

Somewhere in the north-eastern outskirts of Zagreb, in the area of Gračani, not so far away from everything, there is the newly built Kovačić-Šojlev family residence, designed by architects Krunoslav Ivanišin and Lulzim Kabashi. The suburban landscape is defined by the predictable peripheral context: plain family houses with small back yards, gardens, improvised week-end cottages. The city is only 10 minutes away by car; the center can be reached in 20 minutes maximum. However, when compared to countless similar locations, this one is distinguished by its exceptional northern view: the woods are less than hundred meters away. Though the first slopes of Zagrebačka gora are quite close, the lot, rather regular in shape, is almost entirely flat. Its rather large area provided the opportunity to develop it as an island where life is independent (as much as possible) of the conditions of its immediate surroundings.