Corbeanca · Built in 2021

M22 House — Corbeanca

Alexandru Zorlescu’s own home. A courtyard house at the edge of the oak forest, documented through photographs and plans.

Built House M22 — photograph at sunset, Corbeanca — M22 · Photograph of the built house Select to enlarge ↗

Programme: Private house
Location: Corbeanca
Stage: Built
Author: Alexandru Zorlescu

About the project

M22 House is Alexandru Zorlescu’s own home in Tămași, Corbeanca, Ilfov. On a 600 m² plot, a ground floor, upper floor and roof terrace bring together views of the forest and the privacy of an internal courtyard.

The living room sits back from the street and faces the internal courtyard; the kitchen and dining area join the same sequence of spaces. Upstairs, three bedrooms look towards the trees, separating rest from the activities of the ground floor.

Designed entirely by Alexandru Zorlescu, with direct involvement in construction, the house connects the initial idea with plans, details and photographs of the completed building. The technical design and construction detail documents are dated September 2018; this is not the construction completion date.

Orientation and privacy beside the forest.

The concept drawings start with southern orientation, forest views, natural ventilation and site setbacks. The internal courtyard creates a sheltered space, while the ground-floor layout sets the living room back from the street. Openings in the kitchen and bedrooms consider both views and privacy.

Structure, cantilevers and materials.

A reinforced-concrete frame supports volumes cantilevered towards the garden. The property presentation describes a rammed-earth wall in the living area, natural stone, microcement and lime plasters. Triple glazing in aluminium frames, basalt-wool facade insulation and PIR roof insulation complete the envelope.

Building systems integrated into the home.

The house is presented with a ground-source heat pump, two 102.5 m boreholes, rooftop photovoltaic panels and mechanical ventilation with heat recovery. Electric-vehicle charging, garden irrigation and exterior lighting are also included. These describe the installed systems; they do not establish guaranteed energy consumption or Passive House certification.

From technical drawings to the completed house.

The September 2018 archive includes sunlight and natural-ventilation studies, plans, sections and construction details. Photographs document the completed house; drawings explain the spatial and construction decisions. For a new commission, connecting concept and detail allows the architecture to be discussed alongside structure and building services.

Annual generation exceeding consumption.

Data from the Fronius application show 28,920 kWh generated and 17,440 kWh consumed in 2023; 31,360 kWh generated and 20,930 kWh consumed in 2024; and 28,490 kWh generated and 20,980 kWh consumed in 2025. Generation exceeded consumption in each of these three years. The house also imported grid electricity: 11,970 kWh in 2023, 12,020 kWh in 2024 and 13,010 kWh in 2025. A positive annual balance does not mean continuous independence from the grid. Consumption includes home EV charging, with approximately 50,000 km driven annually and around 90% of charging taking place at home. The figures come from the application display, not an energy audit or Passive House certificate.

Project evidence

The design, read in context.

Completion: 2021 · Alexandru Zorlescu’s own home.
Contribution: Design across all disciplines and construction by Alexandru Zorlescu.
Documentation: Photographs of the completed house and archived project drawings. Photography: Alexandru Zorlescu.
Architecture: Alexandru Zorlescu.
Documented design: Reinforced concrete frame, internal courtyard and forest-facing openings.

The built house. In detail.

Photographs of the house, followed by architectural visualisations. Select images for details.

M22 House — Corbeanca — Volumes illuminated at night — 02 Volumes illuminated at night

M22 House — Corbeanca — Entrance elevation and pergola — 03 Entrance elevation and pergola

M22 House — Corbeanca — The pergola and garden — 04 The pergola and garden

M22 House — Corbeanca — Between bathroom and living room — 05 Between bathroom and living room

M22 House — Corbeanca — Bathroom textures and light — 06 Bathroom textures and light

M22 House — Corbeanca — The terrace in the evening — 07 The terrace in the evening

M22 House — Corbeanca — The house seen from the field — 08 The house seen from the field

M22 House — Corbeanca — The road through the forest — 09 The road through the forest

M22 House — Corbeanca — The stair and textured wall — 10 The stair and textured wall

M22 House — Corbeanca — The rhythm of timber — 11 The rhythm of timber

M22 House — Corbeanca — Water and the courtyard garden — 12 Water and the courtyard garden

M22 House — Corbeanca — The courtyard at night — 13 The courtyard at night

M22 House — Corbeanca — The library seen from the garden — 14 The library seen from the garden

M22 House — Corbeanca — A place by the window — 15 A place by the window

M22 House — Corbeanca — A volume in light — 16 A volume in light

M22 House — Corbeanca — The kitchen opening to the courtyard — 17 The kitchen opening to the courtyard

M22 House — Corbeanca — The island lit from within — 18 The island lit from within

M22 House — Corbeanca — The kitchen in daylight — 19 The kitchen in daylight

M22 House — Corbeanca — The kitchen island and cabinetry — 20 The kitchen island and cabinetry

M22 House — Corbeanca — The rooftop solar panels — 21 The rooftop solar panels

M22 House — Corbeanca — Water on glass — 22 Water on glass

M22 House — Corbeanca — The elevation among the trees — 23 The elevation among the trees

M22 House — Corbeanca — Bedroom with an exposed ceiling — 24 Bedroom with an exposed ceiling

M22 House — Corbeanca — The bedroom facing the forest — 25 The bedroom facing the forest

M22 House — Corbeanca — Pergola shadows on the elevation — 26 Pergola shadows on the elevation

M22 House — Corbeanca — Living room with a full-wall bookcase, sofa and a view towards the dining area. — 27 Living room with a full-wall bookcase, sofa and a view towards the dining area.

M22 House — Corbeanca — Courtyard in daylight, with a timber deck and glazing towards the living room. — 28 Courtyard in daylight, with a timber deck and glazing towards the living room.

M22 House — Corbeanca — Courtyard in golden light, with trees, water and white walls. — 29 Courtyard in golden light, with trees, water and white walls.

M22 House — Corbeanca — Dining area in the evening, in front of glazing overlooking the garden. — 30 Dining area in the evening, in front of glazing overlooking the garden.

M22 House — Corbeanca — Detail of a textured surface with horizontal layers in natural tones. — 31 Detail of a textured surface with horizontal layers in natural tones.

M22 House — Corbeanca — Architectural visualisation — Entrance perspective, daytime — 32 Architectural visualisation — Entrance view, daytime

M22 House — Corbeanca — Architectural visualisation — Entrance perspective, night — 33 Architectural visualisation — Entrance perspective, night

M22 House — Corbeanca — Architectural visualisation — NW, daytime — 34 Architectural visualisation — NW, daytime

M22 House — Corbeanca — Architectural visualisation — NW, night — 35 Architectural visualisation — NW, night

M22 House — Corbeanca — Architectural visualisation — SW, daytime — 36 Architectural visualisation — SW, daytime

M22 House — Corbeanca — Architectural visualisation — SW, night — 37 Architectural visualisation — SW, night

M22 House — Corbeanca — Architectural visualisation — SE, daytime — 38 Architectural visualisation — SE, daytime

M22 House — Corbeanca — Architectural visualisation — SE, night — 39 Architectural visualisation — SE, night

M22 House — Corbeanca — Architectural visualisation — NE, daytime — 40 Architectural visualisation — NE, daytime

M22 House — Corbeanca — Architectural visualisation — NE, night — 41 Architectural visualisation — NE, night

M22 House — Corbeanca — Architectural visualisation — Garden perspective, daytime — 42 Architectural visualisation — Garden perspective, daytime

M22 House — Corbeanca — Architectural visualisation — Garden perspective, night — 43 Architectural visualisation — Garden perspective, night

Drawings and project archive ↗

Extracts from the design documentation and images from the project archive.

Furnished ground-floor plan, excerpt from the PT+DE design documentation.

Longitudinal section, excerpt from the PT+DE design documentation.

Excerpt from detail 2: junction between wall, terrace and parapet, from the PT+DE design documentation.

Elevation in winter light · image contains a defect in the original source

M22 / Inside the project

Three drawings. One house.

Selected extracts from the original M22 design documents, dated September 2018. Open each drawing to look closer.

The plan: rooms and movement — Casa M22, Corbeanca — The plan: rooms and movement
Follow the entrance, the living spaces and their connection to the courtyard. Dimensions and door swings help explain how the space can be used.
CASA M22 · page 15

The section: the house in height — Casa M22, Corbeanca — The section: the house in height
Read the relationship between levels, openings and the roof. The section locates the junctions that are developed in larger-scale drawings.
CASA M22 · page 22

The detail: where the layers meet — Casa M22, Corbeanca — The detail: where the layers meet
The parapet detail brings the roof and external wall into the same drawing. It shows why finishes, insulation and waterproofing must be considered together.
CASA M22 · page 25

Historical design extracts, cropped for presentation; they are not an as-built survey or instructions for another building. Design: Alexandru Zorlescu.

Daylight and privacy at M22 ↗

Orientation and privacy beside the forest.

Structure, cantilevers and materials.

Building systems integrated into the home.

From technical drawings to the completed house.

Annual generation exceeding consumption.

The design, read in context.

For a similar project

Other projects

The built house. In detail.

Three drawings. One house.

The plan: rooms and movement

The section: the house in height

The detail: where the layers meet

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