<a>Residential Building in Řevnice</a>

Photo: Filip Šlapal

The house is located near Jiří z Poděbrady Square on Komenského Street in a space enclosed by a courtyard, which was previously filled with a hodgepodge of extensions used as workshops.
On a relatively small plot with a total area of 590 m², it was possible to place a residential building with 11 housing units.
The house, with three above-ground floors and an attic, follows the property boundary on three sides, while the southern facade opens up to a private courtyard.
The mass of the house is formed by a simple rectangular shape with a gable roof from which a trio of dormers protrudes.
The ground floor is used for parking, entrance, and necessary facilities. In the other floors connected by a staircase placed on the northern facade, there are 4 and 3 apartments. In the attic, there are 4 maisonette apartments.
Parking spaces are freely open to the courtyard area, which contributes to the overall lightness of the building itself.
The overall budget for the house was very limited; therefore, we agreed with the investor on key material preferences. The structure is made of ceramic blocks with panel ceilings. The roof is a classic wooden structure with a sheet metal covering made of titanium-zinc sheet. The windows are wooden, made of Euro profiles with insulated double glazing.

author's report

There is an increasing talk about the need to densify existing urban development in cities and towns so that streets do not continue to spread further into the fields, and the urban structure instead becomes more interesting. This does not mean the disruption of parks and gardens, but rather the filling of so-called residual areas left by workshops, courtyards, and industrial complexes. In some places, it has already happened that individual municipalities smoothly connect to each other, for example, in the valley of the Berounka River, Černošice seamlessly merge into Dobřichovice and then into Řevnice.
Řevnice used to be a village with a baroque church; about a hundred years ago, the construction of summer residences in large gardens began here, and later streets with additional houses were added. The result today is uncertainty and confusion. For example, there are two squares right next to each other. The first is traditional, with a fountain in the center, the second has a vast lawn whose expanse speaks of helplessness – there are too many possibilities for how to handle the space, which is why not a single one has been utilized yet.
The residential building by the 4DS studio is not visible until the last moment on this "square," as it is hidden in the courtyard. The development company utilized a small plot that surely did not seem like an ideal parcel. The author faced a number of restrictions here. The setbacks from the neighbors are minimal or almost non-existent, and the construction costs were set by the investor quite low. The brief called for an ordinary house where cheap apartments would be sold.
However, the authors view these limits as beneficial – clear and unambiguous starting conditions were provided, including the traditional sloped roof (this requirement was imposed by the municipal office). They therefore chose only two basic elements: a roof made of titanium-zinc sheet and wooden windows. The rest, such as the facade and interior fittings, were left as simple as possible. However, the overall execution is of high quality, paying attention to good apartment layouts and details such as nicely arranged paving made from waste from split cubes or metal gates. The author also made sure that the already small courtyard was not cramped by garage doors and left the parking spaces in the basement open.
The result is a pleasant urban house that appears solid. Yet it stands where you would not expect it at all - a common phenomenon in a medieval town with a maze of streets and various corners. We have become unaccustomed to this; rectangular urbanism has mostly completely dominated modern constructions.

Hana Vinšová