The family house on the edge of the forest is a contemporary citation of the cottage aesthetic found in the area around Štěchovice. The small, pitorexic building of vertical form is located on a steep slope, casually set into the terrain so that human intervention in the site is hardly noticeable.
A suitable plot of land was selected together with the owners for nearly two years. Not that there were few, but none spoke to me as much as this parcel of land, located next to a stream on the edge of the woods. The steep slope from the beginning co-defined the final shape of the house, which had to be built up.
Inside, the relatively small house for two occupants is defined primarily by a distinctive full-height sculptural staircase connecting all three living floors. On the top floor, there is a separate master bedroom with facilities and spectacular views across the valley to the Vltava River. The living room on the lowest floor is in direct contact with the garden and at the same time, the interior visually flows seamlessly into the kitchen and dining room on the middle floor by means of a vertical gallery. From the beginning, the vertical space connecting the three living floors was intended to serve as a gallery, a permanent exhibition of works from the owners' contemporary art collection, so we chose white for the base. It was also applied to the stairs and railings that guide visitors through the exhibition, which was to serve as a painting canvas for the selected artist in the future. The minimalist basis of the interior is complemented by artisanal elements and eclectic decorations. The shell of the house is made of wooden cladding, which ages and changes over time, just like the surrounding nature.
Using simple, non-invasive principles, the garden is divided into several functional parts according to different outdoor activities. For the future, the plot also allows to think about a possible extension to host more friends or to create a small creative workshop.
The specific house and garden ultimately mirror the deep passion for art of its owners. The design was created in an intense dialogue in which care was taken with every detail. Whether it was the joinery details in the interior, the unique bathroom faucets, the special windows with an industrial profile in the style of old factories or the steam sauna in the bathroom. Text description by the architects.
