Family house with an ingenious atrium and an unusual façade <nobr>made of polycarbonates,</nobr> laminates, and large glazed surfaces

A significant architectural element of the family house is the atrium made of polycarbonates

To the north, the house is surrounded by an intersection with the main road leading to the Jihlava - Horní Kosov housing estate, so it was necessary to devise a facade solution that would ensure adequate privacy for the building. The architects solved the corner position with an ingenious and also prominent architectural element, namely the impressive atrium. The atrium, made of orange polycarbonates, excellently meets the requirement for intimacy, providing a quiet background for the basement and also representing an interesting design element. Traditional materials such as concrete and bricks, mineral wool for insulation, and reinforced concrete used in the ceilings were used for the rough construction of the family house, a representative of contemporary architecture. In addition to the aforementioned orange polycarbonates, the facade of the family house is functionally and aesthetically completed by black MAX laminated boards and unplaned larch boards, mainly around the entrances and in the passage between floors. The aluminum systems for windows, doors, and facades from Schüco, with safety insulating double glazing, play an irreplaceable role in the building. While the building may appear restrained from the street, it is maximally open and richly illuminated by natural light in the private zone, with skylights in the ceiling.

A covered terrace clad in larch boards connects the individual floors

Inside the uncovered atrium, there is a space with a Japanese-style garden, from which one can access the exterior of the first floor through a passage over the covered terrace and down the stairs, where the central garden with a terrace and pool is located. Additionally, the house is set into a terrain embankment with a height difference of one floor, which prevents the spatial overlapping of the lower, predominantly technical part with the upper floor. The atrium thus provides a covered space at the entrance and the main passage through the shaded terrace to the upper floor of the house. Besides the basic technical background, which includes a built-in garage with the necessary technical facilities, a laundry room, and a dressing room, there is also a sauna with a large relaxation and social room in the basement. This relaxation room with a billiard table is connected with the Japanese garden in the atrium by a glass wall made up of Schüco aluminum profiles. In good weather, it is effortless to open the space to the garden.

The airy interior is furnished in calm and light tones

The L-shaped ground plan of the first floor was designed to accommodate a large living room with a kitchen, three rooms, and a bedroom with two dressing rooms and bathrooms, as well as other smaller spaces (WC, pantry, hallway, or vestibule). The interior is furnished in calm and light tones, with a preference for natural materials. "The investor of the family house had a certain concept in mind regarding the overall idea and detail solutions for the interior and exterior, but he was open to discussion throughout the process. Moreover, we clicked well together, which I believe was two fundamental criteria that led to a successful project," describes Luděk Rýzner. Wooden flooring, Moroccan stucco on the walls, or designer wallpapers dominate the rooms. The interior furnishings were partly designed with standard items, especially in the case of the sofa in the living room, dining chairs, or beds. However, many items could not be found in furniture stores, as custom-made pieces were produced, such as a library, a TV wall, a dining table, and wardrobes and bathroom cabinets. It is also worth mentioning the massive fireplace located in the living room.

Extensive glass areas in slender aluminum frames

Practically the entire southern facade of the first above-ground floor is connected to the exterior by glazed aluminum profiles from Schüco. "We were already addressing this building during the project documentation phase, so we had the opportunity to plan all the details in advance, meet all the architect's requirements, and, above all, prevent potential problems during the implementation," explains Ing. Miroslav Culka, sales director of DAFE-PLAST, the supplier of Schüco aluminum profiles, adding: "We have been collaborating with the architects from OK Plan Architects for many years, and in most implementations, we jointly prefer Schüco aluminum profiles because they provide excellent thermal insulation values leading to energy savings, along with a variety of design and construction solutions."

In this case, the main requirement was to ensure the maximum number of spacious glazed areas, preferably in slender aluminum frames. To meet these requirements, the Schüco FW 50+ facade system was chosen, which has the advantage of being glazed from the outside, allowing the installation of safety insulating double glazing up to maxi dimensions of 3 x 2.5 m with heavy machinery. The opening parts of the glazed areas consist of the Schüco AWS 70.HI window system, also glazed with insulating safety double glazing. All corner positions were designed with structural glazing using overlap glass.

Automated door control with the option of fingerprint recognition

Access from the living room to the terrace is secured by sliding doors from the Schüco ASS 50 system. Due to the high weight of this sliding leaf and for more comfortable operation, the sliding doors are equipped with electrically powered fittings Schüco E-SLIDE. From the inside, the doors are controlled by a button placed on the doors or by remote control. On the outside, a key switch is installed, which can also be replaced with a fingerprint reader. The dominant feature of the building when viewed from the street is undoubtedly the skylight that brightens the connecting corridor between the rooms on the first floor. The skylight is designed using the Schüco FW 50+ facade system with a minimal roof pitch. The vertical part is made with structural glazing with tempered glass with overlap. All aluminum exterior fill-ins have a black color RAL 9005 in a matte finish. The only exception is the segmented window in the oval study on the roof of the building, which is silver RAL 9016.

A cylindrical study on the roof of the house with views of the garden and surroundings

An interesting element, one could say a decoration, of the flat roof and the entire building is the study with a circular floor plan. It comprises a lightweight steel structure clad with thermal insulation using silver-colored polycarbonates in combination with Schüco window profiles. Next to the study, there is also a green terrace on the flat roof of the second floor. The study provides the owner not only with an original working environment but also with a beautiful view of both the surroundings and the large garden with a semi-shaded terrace and a pool with a sunbathing area. The modest garden is dominated by a green lawn supplemented with various types of shrubs and trees, as well as massive flower pots with annuals. The floors of the terraces and the cladding around the pool consist of wooden boards made of larch.

More information can be found on the websites of Schüco www.schueco.cz, DAFE-PLAST www.dafeplast.cz, and OK Plan Architects www.okplan.cz.