House of Babu

photo: BcA. Petr Polák

The Babu House is named after a four-legged family member and is located in Prague on Vodňanská Street. On the plot was part of a single-story duplex, which was originally planned to be symmetrical and two-story. During the construction in the 1940s, this did not happen, both parts grew independently and only to the height of the ground floor. Each part was different, and it could not be referred to as a duplex. The structure on the site was in very poor technical condition, thus reconstruction would have been very inefficient. Therefore, we removed the building. It can be assumed that from the perspective of the development of the street, the remaining part of the duplex on the neighboring plot will face the same fate. Since the 1940s, Vodňanská Street has evolved in various ways, and buildings on the street have gradually increased in height. The last increase was the administrative (red) building on the adjacent plot, which dictates the character of the street.
The plot on which our building is located is only 238 m² and narrows and slopes towards the south. The Babu House responds to these realities both in expression and massing, connecting to the natural development of the street. This was a key point of sustainability and development of the site when addressing the design. It was necessary to deal with the height differences between neighboring structures. The house was set back on the western boundary of the plot, closer to the office building. This allows for more exposure to its garden and does not block the remaining part of the duplex.
The house is two stories and is topped with a combination of two shed roofs, which are offset from each other and are illuminated by a skylight that lights the interior gallery. The upper ridge level reaches a height of eight meters, making the house a proper member of the street that respects both the building line and the height ratios of the houses. The basic proportions are derived from a cube. The height to the upper edge of the roof is the same as the side of the square floor plan, which is eight meters. The side of the house, together with the solid wooden fence, forms a uniform profile that stretches along the entire length of the plot and contributes to the character of the courtyard. This courtyard provides the privacy that has so far been lacking due to views from the neighboring office building directly into the garden.
The construction of the house is conceived as a wooden structure placed on reinforced concrete footings. The entire floor plan of the house is guided by a grid of 625 mm, which is reflected in the modulation of windows, beams, outdoor pergola, and bookshelves. Strict adherence to this grid contributes to the overall clarity and coherence of the individual elements of the house.
The exterior of the house is designed using a combination of aluminum and larch facade painted in a blue-gray color. The entrance is highlighted by red doors with a round window.