Family house in Opava 2

The renovation of the old house resulted in well-lit spaces, views of greenery, and direct contact with the garden.

The nearly one-hundred-year-old house attracted its new owners primarily due to its valuable location—close to the city center, yet in an area of older family homes. The peaceful villa quarter was among the "luxury addresses" of the city during the First Republic; here, respected local families built their houses, and the neighborhood was a presentation of contemporary housing culture. However, much changed after the war, as the families of Sudeten Germans were expelled, and Jewish families did not return from concentration camps. Many villas became the property of communist leaders, while others were divided into several small residential units. Gradual renovations and extensions (often done independently) devalued the houses, particularly in the lower, less prestigious northern part of the area.

In addition to its location, the advantage of the old house was its garden oriented to the south and integrated into a block with mature trees. It provides a beautiful view of greenery and a peaceful intimate environment protected by neighboring gardens. The house itself, a duplex with a mansard roof from the early 20th century, underwent completely different developments in each half. While the western part of the building has retained its original appearance to this day, the eastern half has transformed beyond recognition, and even its internal structure did not reveal signs that would confirm a mirroring similarity with the neighbor. The 1950s and later years imparted the same banal appearance to it as to other houses in the immediate vicinity, lacking the touch of generosity so characteristic of pre-war family villa architecture. The only reminder of the "good old days" was the wooden staircase that passed through a central hall across both living floors to the attic.

The layout of the house also did not offer any significant value; it certainly did not meet contemporary ideas of modern living. There were considerations of demolishing it and replacing it with a new building, but studies confirmed that it was possible to create a suitable layout while preserving the load-bearing walls. Only the attic could not be utilized in its current form; its low height, poor lighting, and complicated roof structure would have brought only many problems during reconstruction and almost no benefit for living. Overall, it was proven that a meaningful renovation with sufficiently large window openings and spacious areas on all floors would require the creation of a completely new mass, which, in its current appearance, would acknowledge the time of its origin. Attempting a replica of the neighboring half would be merely an untruthful step back, and additionally without the possibility to meet the needs of a four-member family.

The three-story building with terraces and a flat roof adapts to its environment primarily through scale. The sloped roof was replaced with a new floor that steps back, respecting the smaller mass of the original attic, and connects to the neighboring house with a piece of gabled roof. The highest part of the house is a kind of equivalent to the gables common toward the street, only it does not have their historical triangular shape.

Transformation of the Layout

The concept of the renovation stemmed from the effort to open up, brighten, and connect the entire space with the garden as much as possible. The original ground floor was accessed via a narrow and dark "tunnel" of stairs between the pantry and the toilet, and from the stair hall, which lacked light, one entered separate rooms: the kitchen, living room, and a small room (the bathroom was only accessible through the kitchen). While the living room had access to the garden through doors on the side and a few steps, the windows with high sills did not allow for visual contact, leaving the garden, which was at a lower elevation, "sunken" beneath them. By connecting all the rooms into a single flowing space and glazing the walls to full height, the lacking generosity was achieved; daylight penetrates deeply into the layout, illuminating even the previously dark hall. The connections between the hall, kitchen, dining room, and living room are naturally free, providing not only beautiful views but also maximum comfort with direct access to summer living in the garden. The entrance area of the house was also opened up and richly illuminated, gaining two closets, one for coats and another for shoes.

In front of the living space's front wall stands a canopy on slender columns, which shades the windows from summer overheating while also providing a spacious terrace for the rooms on the upper floor. From several small rooms, a large bedroom connected to a dressing room, a children's room for the younger son, a separate dressing room, a shared bathroom with a bathtub and shower, and a separate toilet were created here. The top floor belongs to the older, almost adult son, who has enough privacy, his own bathroom, and dressing room. The large room with a glazed wall and adjoining terrace bears no resemblance to the original dark chamber with low sloping walls and a dormer window.

The underground floor has also undergone transformation. The spaces of the former boiler room were utilized for a new garage, allowing the unsightly garage annex to disappear, with only a parking space beneath a green roof adjacent to the garden.

Technical Solutions

To supplement the vertical structures and construct the new floor, Ytong blocks were used; the construction of the flat roof consists of glued wooden I-OSB beams, allowing for a span of six meters. The contact insulation of the facade with a thickness of 150 mm classified the house among low-energy buildings, and electric energy was used for underfloor heating. During the coldest frosts, but also on cooler transitional days, it is possible to supplement heating in the living space with a fireplace insert.

New large openings measuring 4.5 × 2.5 meters were filled with wooden windows with aluminum cladding and insulating glazing with safety film.

The original wooden staircase was dismantled and carefully preserved during the renovation so that it could be reinstalled in its place. However, its technical condition was not good, so a decision was ultimately made to create a replica. In the entirely contemporary interior, this staircase serves as a reminder of the former villa, a reflection of its past style.

The floors in the house are made of solid wood, and the furniture was custom-made according to the designer's plans for the renovation.

The garden terrain around the house was leveled with soil to the height of the outdoor terrace directly connected to the living space, and the former slope against the house was replaced by two steps supported by solid wood walls. Thus, the garden serves much better as a living area.