Low-energy family house in the Protected Landscape Area Český kras
Low-energy family house is built on a flat plot in the Protected Landscape Area of Český kras at the edge of the village of Hlásná Třebaň. The current state of the house is already the second stage of the construction. The first was established in 2008, the house was approved and was inhabited for several years by the original investors. They realized the house structurally according to my design; however, due to a lack of investment funds, the quality of the façade, the internal furnishing of the house, and the interior was functional but very "Spartan." The new owners, who bought the house in 2014 for "summer family living," decided to build upon the original structural solution of the building, with the intention of improving its constructional technical properties and architectural solution through renovation. The façade was replaced, entrance doors were changed, new heating and cooling systems were installed, and electrical modifications were made. The layout was adjusted, and based on an individual design, a completely new interior was realized, including the design of atypical furniture pieces. Today, there is already a proposal for the third stage of realization, which the owners plan "for their old age," when a single-storey annex in the shape of the letter L will be added to the existing mass of the house, containing a covered parking space, a larger entrance, and a parents' bedroom. This stage of realization is still waiting for the right moment.
FULFILLMENT OF PROTECTED LANDSCAPE AREA REQUIREMENTS
The simple mass solution of the house, placement on the plot, rectangular floor plan shape, composition of windows, location of the entrance, and gable roof comply with the usual requirements of the Protected Landscape Area. I did not want to meet these requirements formally; I tried to approach them creatively and bring the logic of common sense, which has determined the architecture of buildings in historical village architecture for centuries, into the typology of a modern family house. My ambition was to create a modern village house that would architecturally, constructionally, and with its equipment meet current requirements and still be realizable for reasonable money.
ARCHITECTURAL AND CONSTRUCTIONAL TECHNICAL SOLUTION
The family house is a low-energy, diffusion-open, pure timber construction based on pedestals approximately 25 cm above ground. The exposed load-bearing structure of the timber construction is defining for the entire house, with the layout subordinated to it, and it is a visually decisive element of the entire interior. The main load-bearing structure of the house consists of four complete "A" frame trusses spanning the entire width and height of the building. The shape of the complete truss derives from traditional roof constructions, modified for the needs of modern wooden buildings. The complete truss is braced by a pair of inclined braces that help to span the seven-meter distance in the width of the complete truss without the use of a central column. The inclined braces are threaded between a pair of collar ties that horizontally connect the entire frame at the level of the inserted ceiling. These collar ties also serve as ceiling beams. Two complete trusses are present in the gable walls, while two are exposed in the interior. Thanks to them, the house is divided into three identical layout sections, which are approximately 4 meters long in the longitudinal direction inside the house. The total length of the interior space of the house is thus about 12 m. In width, the layout sections are divided by exposed ceiling beams every meter, so the total width of the interior space of the house is approximately 7 meters. The first and second layout sections have an inserted floor. On the ground floor of the first layout section, there is an entrance, a hallway, a bathroom, and a technical room while there are 2 rooms on the floor. On the ground floor of the second layout section and throughout the third section, there is a connected living space with a kitchen, dining room, and living room. The third layout section is open through two floors to a gallery, accessed by a spiral staircase. In addition to the aforementioned exposed load-bearing structure, the visual and actual connection of internal living spaces through large French windows with the terrace and garden is important for the architecture and layout solution of the entire house. The advantage is that several trees were already planted in the garden during the first stage of realization, which have grown in the last 10 years, so the garden is now nicely matured.
The interior wooden construction elements are spruce laminated beams and spruce floorboards. All structural wooden elements of the interior are color-unified with an oil coating that has a hint of light gray pigment. The thermal insulation of the house is a combination of mineral wool embedded in the load-bearing structure of floors, walls, and roofs, and wood-fiber diffusion-open boards. These wrap the entire construction of the house under the wooden cladding and interrupt all potential thermal bridges that could occur in the building envelope. The house is clad with a ventilated façade with Siberian larch planks. The planks are laid horizontally with a gap, and the plank profile is rhombus-shaped. The roof covering consists of low-profile concrete tiles. The windows are wooden EURO, and the entrance doors are colorfully highlighted.
INTERIOR
The individual decisive perspectives in the interior are a transcription of geometric abstraction into space. When you squint, you can perceive individual perspective views and details of the interior as geometric images full of colors, different textures, materials of light and shadow. The intentional overlapping of exposed constructional, layout, functional, and purely visual elements and their mutual spatial interaction brings a unique feeling to the user. The exposed and thoughtfully designed structure of complete trusses and ceilings has a friendly, archetypal impact on people, naturally filling the interior both visually and emotionally, so it feels inhabited without much additional furnishing. Everything that is visible in the interior beyond the exposed structure: stairs, doors, railings, built-in furniture, and free-standing pieces, is made based on the interior and design proposal. Only the dining chairs, the armchair, and the light fixtures are purchased. The most visible inserted element in the interior is the central spiral staircase. It connects the lower open living space with the upper gallery, which serves as a sewing room and play area. The staircase, as well as the railing on the gallery, is made of steel, produced from sheet and strip steel, and inserted as a single piece into the structure of the house. The significant horizontal and vertical division of the railing on the stairs and on the gallery adds another layer to the interior, contrasting with the predominant structural wood and large surfaces of wooden cladding. Built-in furniture: kitchen, cabinets, and closets are designed according to current design trends, yet sufficiently practical and ergonomic. The dining table is a solitary piece with a massive oak top made from exposed brushed planks and has an atypical steel base. Likewise, the coffee tables, bookshelf, and TV stand are custom-designed. The design solution of these solitary furniture pieces combines a delicate steel rod construction with wooden lacquered and veneered fillings. Coffee tables and bookshelves were created from prototypes directly in the carpentry/metalworking workshop. They are unique partly because the veneer used for the tabletop was cut not longitudinally, as is common, but perpendicular to the trunk, so it looks like a cut stump. The shape of the sofa is adapted to ideal seating for watching television and listening to hi-fi. The final touch to the entire interior is the color coordination of the whole space, the selection of decorations, paintings, and fixtures.
TECHNICAL EQUIPMENT
The heating of the house is underfloor electric, the hot water supply is ensured by an electric boiler. A secondary but practically main source of heating is the interior stove. All windows have internal window blinds. The shading of the terrace and the internal living space is ensured by a large fabric awning, which covers the entire terrace when extended. On the hottest days, the indoor spaces can use a multi-split air conditioning system, which can also heat the house in winter in reverse mode. The air conditioning thus serves as the third heating source for the house, operating on the principle of an air-to-water heat pump.
FULFILLMENT OF PROTECTED LANDSCAPE AREA REQUIREMENTS
The simple mass solution of the house, placement on the plot, rectangular floor plan shape, composition of windows, location of the entrance, and gable roof comply with the usual requirements of the Protected Landscape Area. I did not want to meet these requirements formally; I tried to approach them creatively and bring the logic of common sense, which has determined the architecture of buildings in historical village architecture for centuries, into the typology of a modern family house. My ambition was to create a modern village house that would architecturally, constructionally, and with its equipment meet current requirements and still be realizable for reasonable money.
ARCHITECTURAL AND CONSTRUCTIONAL TECHNICAL SOLUTION
The family house is a low-energy, diffusion-open, pure timber construction based on pedestals approximately 25 cm above ground. The exposed load-bearing structure of the timber construction is defining for the entire house, with the layout subordinated to it, and it is a visually decisive element of the entire interior. The main load-bearing structure of the house consists of four complete "A" frame trusses spanning the entire width and height of the building. The shape of the complete truss derives from traditional roof constructions, modified for the needs of modern wooden buildings. The complete truss is braced by a pair of inclined braces that help to span the seven-meter distance in the width of the complete truss without the use of a central column. The inclined braces are threaded between a pair of collar ties that horizontally connect the entire frame at the level of the inserted ceiling. These collar ties also serve as ceiling beams. Two complete trusses are present in the gable walls, while two are exposed in the interior. Thanks to them, the house is divided into three identical layout sections, which are approximately 4 meters long in the longitudinal direction inside the house. The total length of the interior space of the house is thus about 12 m. In width, the layout sections are divided by exposed ceiling beams every meter, so the total width of the interior space of the house is approximately 7 meters. The first and second layout sections have an inserted floor. On the ground floor of the first layout section, there is an entrance, a hallway, a bathroom, and a technical room while there are 2 rooms on the floor. On the ground floor of the second layout section and throughout the third section, there is a connected living space with a kitchen, dining room, and living room. The third layout section is open through two floors to a gallery, accessed by a spiral staircase. In addition to the aforementioned exposed load-bearing structure, the visual and actual connection of internal living spaces through large French windows with the terrace and garden is important for the architecture and layout solution of the entire house. The advantage is that several trees were already planted in the garden during the first stage of realization, which have grown in the last 10 years, so the garden is now nicely matured.
The interior wooden construction elements are spruce laminated beams and spruce floorboards. All structural wooden elements of the interior are color-unified with an oil coating that has a hint of light gray pigment. The thermal insulation of the house is a combination of mineral wool embedded in the load-bearing structure of floors, walls, and roofs, and wood-fiber diffusion-open boards. These wrap the entire construction of the house under the wooden cladding and interrupt all potential thermal bridges that could occur in the building envelope. The house is clad with a ventilated façade with Siberian larch planks. The planks are laid horizontally with a gap, and the plank profile is rhombus-shaped. The roof covering consists of low-profile concrete tiles. The windows are wooden EURO, and the entrance doors are colorfully highlighted.
INTERIOR
The individual decisive perspectives in the interior are a transcription of geometric abstraction into space. When you squint, you can perceive individual perspective views and details of the interior as geometric images full of colors, different textures, materials of light and shadow. The intentional overlapping of exposed constructional, layout, functional, and purely visual elements and their mutual spatial interaction brings a unique feeling to the user. The exposed and thoughtfully designed structure of complete trusses and ceilings has a friendly, archetypal impact on people, naturally filling the interior both visually and emotionally, so it feels inhabited without much additional furnishing. Everything that is visible in the interior beyond the exposed structure: stairs, doors, railings, built-in furniture, and free-standing pieces, is made based on the interior and design proposal. Only the dining chairs, the armchair, and the light fixtures are purchased. The most visible inserted element in the interior is the central spiral staircase. It connects the lower open living space with the upper gallery, which serves as a sewing room and play area. The staircase, as well as the railing on the gallery, is made of steel, produced from sheet and strip steel, and inserted as a single piece into the structure of the house. The significant horizontal and vertical division of the railing on the stairs and on the gallery adds another layer to the interior, contrasting with the predominant structural wood and large surfaces of wooden cladding. Built-in furniture: kitchen, cabinets, and closets are designed according to current design trends, yet sufficiently practical and ergonomic. The dining table is a solitary piece with a massive oak top made from exposed brushed planks and has an atypical steel base. Likewise, the coffee tables, bookshelf, and TV stand are custom-designed. The design solution of these solitary furniture pieces combines a delicate steel rod construction with wooden lacquered and veneered fillings. Coffee tables and bookshelves were created from prototypes directly in the carpentry/metalworking workshop. They are unique partly because the veneer used for the tabletop was cut not longitudinally, as is common, but perpendicular to the trunk, so it looks like a cut stump. The shape of the sofa is adapted to ideal seating for watching television and listening to hi-fi. The final touch to the entire interior is the color coordination of the whole space, the selection of decorations, paintings, and fixtures.
TECHNICAL EQUIPMENT
The heating of the house is underfloor electric, the hot water supply is ensured by an electric boiler. A secondary but practically main source of heating is the interior stove. All windows have internal window blinds. The shading of the terrace and the internal living space is ensured by a large fabric awning, which covers the entire terrace when extended. On the hottest days, the indoor spaces can use a multi-split air conditioning system, which can also heat the house in winter in reverse mode. The air conditioning thus serves as the third heating source for the house, operating on the principle of an air-to-water heat pump.
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