Maximum glazing for maximum views

In the midst of protected Krkonoš nature, four kilometers from the nearest village, there is a family house with a fully glazed southwest façade, where each room offers a private observation point of an endless panorama...

The family house is located in the Krkonoš National Park, which provides its residents with uninterrupted peace as well as views of the encompassing surrounding nature with its mountainous relief. This fact influenced the design of the house, whose appearance needed to be consulted with nature conservationists and relevant authorities, which had to approve it. For the design of the house, the owners turned to Ing. architect Zdeněk Franěk from the architectural studio Fránek Architects, who explains one of the restrictions that had to be followed: “Given the placement of the building in the midst of a protected area, strict regulations for its design had to be adhered to. For example, it was not entirely possible to build the house in any location on the plot. To ease negotiations with the authorities, we followed the footprint of the original structure that stood here, which the new building replicates.”

The lower part of the building, whose foundation is a reinforced concrete structure, is embedded in the slope. From the northeast side, where the main entrance of the house is located, it is completely below the ground level, but it is accessible from the opposite southwest side from the garden. The main entrance leads into the first above-ground floor, designed technologically as a wooden building. The roof of the house, according to strict requirements for the appearance of the structure and the nature of the mountainous environment, is gabled with a steep slope. The covering is made of glued larch slats, which the architect also used as the façade cladding of the entire house. “Since the slats are glued, they do not twist, and thus they withstand the demanding climatic conditions of the mountainous environment without worry,” explains Zdeněk Franěk.

Magnificent views

The entire southwest side of the house is glazed on both floors, providing each room with an uninterrupted view of the landscape. “The glazing of entire walls was realized using frameless windows from the Janošík brand, with the glass externally covering their supporting structures. Fixed elements are complemented in the lower floor by French windows allowing entry to the garden, while the upper floor features an HS portal leading to a triangular-shaped balcony,” says the architect. These opening window elements are made of larch wood, matching the external cladding of the house.

The architect equipped the windows as well as the interior doors with MAXIMAL and MINIMAL fittings from the Czech manufacturer M&T. “I often use these handle models in my designs. I like that they are cohesive collections of fittings that include products for both doors and windows,” says architect Zdeněk Franěk, and Roman Ulich, the chief designer of M&T, adds concerning the model ranges: “The MAXIMAL and MINIMAL fittings have nearly identical designs; the difference between them lies in the MAXIMAL fittings' ability to carry a filling made of various materials on their front surface, allowing harmonization with the decor of door and window elements.” Both types of handles fully correspond with the minimalist style that pervades the entire interior.

Purposeful design purity

The owners had a clear vision from the start regarding the number of rooms, their functions, and design. On the floor accessed by the main entrance, there is a living area with a kitchen, a study, one bedroom, and sanitation facilities. The central living room is open to the roof, which houses a relaxation space for meditation and a library. The lower floor, embedded in the slope, serves as the quiet part of the house — it contains three bedrooms, a bathroom with a toilet, as well as a laundry room and a technical room. A spiral staircase connects the individual floors. At the owners' request, the entire space is furnished very simply and in light colors. Light polyurethane coatings on the floor complement the white walls; the same tone is used for the bathroom tiles, door frames with interior doors, and most of the furniture equipment. The interior lighting fixtures from myLIGHT are also designed with clean lines.

The purposefully minimalist interior accentuates the beauty of the pristine nature beyond the glazed walls, thereby maximizing the perception of connection between the interior and the endless expanse of the mountain scenery.

Technical data:

Year of realization: 2017 - 2018
Built-up area: 225 m²
Usable area: 376 m²
Construction type: reinforced concrete, wooden structure
Facade: cladding of glued larch slats
Roof: glued larch slats
Floor: polyurethane coatings

Manufacturers and suppliers:

• Windows: JANOŠÍK Windows-doors
• Door and window handles: M&T, MAXIMAL fitting, MINIMAL fitting, kliky-mt.cz
• Lights: myLIGHT
• Furniture: Hema Puls

Architect: Ing. architect Zdeněk Franěk, studio Fránek Architects, www.franekarchitects.cz

Photo realization: Petr Polák for M&T