Forgotten Barn: an exceptional work by the architects of Příbram and the builder MARTINICE GROUP, who transformed a century-old ruin into unique living spaces

The barn, whose history dates back to just before World War I, has been completely consumed by the surrounding development over time. Today, the building is hidden in the inner courtyard, amid mature trees and old brick walls. A young team from the architectural studio Karnet architekti, led by Michael Karnet, embarked on the unorthodox project of a family home embedded within the remnants of the barn. "From the very beginning, we knew that on the plot designated for construction, we wanted to preserve and acknowledge the existing barn, which provided us with clear boundaries for the new building. The footprint of the barn was clearly defined and fortunately quite generous. We tailored the layout to the original walls and their existing openings. It was also evident that in order not to compromise the structure or damage the foundations of the old barn, the house would need to be built as a lightweight, completely structurally separate wooden construction," says Michael Karnet, the founder of the Příbram studio.



In the initial phase of realization, his team had to focus on the rehabilitation of the over 100-year-old fragile remnants of the barn. "The stone walls needed to be stabilized with a concrete overlay and, in places, sheet metal cladding, to conserve and protect them against degradation. The original structure was stripped of all accumulated plaster, extensions, wooden elements, and the roof, leaving only the brick-and-stone remnants ready for a new phase. We placed the foundation slab for the new embedded structure with sufficient distance to avoid threatening the stone walls. Otherwise, we allowed the old barn the freedom to continue its life, and we expect that occasionally something will flake or peel off. The house built beneath it will not be affected," explains the author of the design.

The execution of the embedded wooden structure was taken on by MARTINICE GROUP, with whom the investor had good experiences from previous collaborations, and therefore specifically reached out to them. "The selection of the contractor fully suited us. We wanted to work with someone local because understanding the pitfalls of this project and seeking safe and lasting solutions to each new challenge required very intensive collaboration," Michael Karnet clarifies, providing specific examples: "We needed significant technical support from MARTINICE GROUP when addressing the truss, ceiling structures, and generous roof overhangs that we designed over the top of the stone walls, additionally combined with a longitudinal dormer essentially spanning the entire length of the house. The engineers from Martinic handled the problem without any changes to the architectural concept. Given the height of the original wall, they proposed sloping supports for the overhang rafters, which turned out to be a very elegant solution even at the points of overhang under the dormers."

"This construction was a challenge for us primarily due to the unusual concept of the architectural design, which accounted for the preservation of the stone exterior wall. Our task was to embed wooden panels into this barn's remnants. But it was this very idea that made the entire design extremely interesting, so we went for it," explains Michal Zeman, director of the implementation company MARTINICE GROUP, adding: "We had to deal with, for example, the treatment of the panels that were to be built against the exterior walls of the barn to protect them from moisture that could jeopardize the exterior envelope of the wooden structure. Furthermore, we sought solutions for the appropriate and precise connection of the roof covering to the barn's exterior walls so that everything was of visual quality. The overall structure's statics were also complicated, which we had to address due to large spans without supports. The biggest challenge of all, however, was the requirement for the realization to resemble the original architectural design and the investor's vision as much as possible. It was our task to devise a technical solution that would avoid design compromises."

The barn, with its elongated rectangular footprint, effectively divides the plot into two halves – eastern and western. Each has its own character and different lighting conditions. This fact played a crucial role in designing the layout of the embedded building. Access to the house was provided from the western side. Therefore, the architects utilized the pair of arched openings on the north side as an open shelter for parking. The main living area was placed in the southern part of the original structure between the second pair of arched openings, from which two terraces emerge: one western, leading into a quieter garden and capturing the afternoon sun, and the other eastern, where one can enjoy the sun's rays in the morning and early afternoon. By utilizing the arched openings with natural partial roofing and the sun's movement across the sky, there was no need for external shading in the form of a typical pergola, which would have disrupted the original volume. "The barn has very long western and eastern facades. We placed the main living room exactly between the two driveways. We did not want to interfere with the existing facades or create additional openings in them, as this could have jeopardized the barn's structure. Therefore, we utilized the already existing large arched openings and installed large windows in them. These also serve as passages to both mentioned terraces. It is important that right in the middle between these driveways is the kitchen with a dining table and the main living area with a fireplace, essentially the heart of the house. This solution ultimately turned out to be a substantial advantage because we can bring in sunlight all day long and at the same time ensure its residents sufficient privacy and short distances from one terrace to another," describes Michael Karnet the benefits of the layouts.

Working with natural light required careful planning. In addition to the mentioned opposite terraces, which provide both sunlit and shaded spots, the building also features several other thoughtful solutions for maximizing the amount of natural light entering the interior. For instance, the internal staircase was placed longitudinally in the western part of the footprint so that the bedrooms and children's rooms could be oriented to the east, allowing the residents to enjoy the morning sun. The architects also intentionally set the embedded volume away from the original barn walls. One of the windows in the living room therefore seemingly illogically faces the stone wall, but thanks to the sufficient distance between them, it brings very pleasant indirect daylight into the room.

During the actual realization of the embedded house, all participants appreciated the advantages of the wooden structure – not only the lightness of the construction, the speed of production and assembly, but also the possibility of maximum prefabrication with a well-thought-out design for both installations and the appearance of the interior. Additional modifications in the already prepared wooden panels can often be problematic, but not in the case of the forgotten barn. Special technological solutions brought flexibility to the project: the installation front wall represented a fundamental advantage, which the implementers often utilized during the additional adjustment of the placement of the lighting fixtures, switches, and outlets. The outer structures are much slimmer than brick ones, which allowed the architects to gain several valuable centimeters in the interior space. The walls are only 33.3 centimeters thick and are diffusively open, allowing for natural ventilation. The demand for the ecological nature of the designed wooden structure system was also fulfilled mainly by the use of wood fiber insulation in both the structure and on the facade.

"We paid great attention to the preparation of the design, the description of the building, individual details, and the precision of the completed assembly work. We are pleased that the time and effort that all participants devoted to the preparation, production, and implementation of this order bore fruit, as evidenced by the investor's satisfaction. We are also delighted that we managed to materialize the architect's visions as well," praises Jaroslav Eder, head of technical production preparation at MARTINICE GROUP, adding: "In our collaboration with the architect and investors, we especially appreciate that we all tried to find common ground and that the architect was involved in the realization from the very beginning. This allowed us to address all the pitfalls of the proposed architectural intention and any structural limits. And thanks to the excellent cooperation of all parties involved, we succeeded."

"Let the shell of the original barn live its own life, let something flake off if it may, let the remnants gradually decay… We have hidden a new house under it, which not only meets all the demands of contemporary living but can easily last here for another one hundred and fifty years," concludes Michael Karnet.

The Forgotten Barn

Location: Dobříš
Studio: Karnet architekti
Author: Michael Karnet
Construction Contractor: MARTINICE GROUP
Realization: 2022
Built-up area: 240 m²
Usable area: 287 m²
Photo: Petr Polák

www.karnet.archi