12 NEWS RESIDENTIAL
In harmony with nature in the Czech mountains
A house has been completed in a remote part of the Czech Republic’s Krkonoše mountains which is “an example of a harmony between people and nature,” according to its architect, Zdenek Fránek. Being designed in a “pristine” environment such as this was “an exciting challenge,” said the architect, who founded Fránek Architects in 1989, and who worked as dean of the Faculty of Art and Architecture at the Technical University of Liberec until 2018. A further challenge, said the architect, was that the house was designed for his “long-standing friend and his young family – for a person who loves nature, art and life.”
The design replicates the proportions of a house “which had been standing in this protected area since ancient times, as the only structure as far as the eye can see.” As a result of the responsibility of designing in such circumstances, and against strict regulations, the
result was an “archetypal form,” said the architect.
The client required a “sophisticated approach towards the space, which would be spiritually focused, unusual, and pure.” The building was constructed using reinforced concrete and timber, and has larch cladding.
The house has been “inserted” into the sloping site so that the basement has an entrance from the lower floor, facing towards the outdoor pool. The main entrance and driveway are on the upper level. The basement is made of reinforced concrete and above this is a timber structure. The truss consists of four frames – glued ‘full bindings,’ inside which are three pairs of convexly curved “pillows” for better use of space, acoustic comfort, and lighting.
The exterior of the building, including the roof, is fully cladded with glued larch laths. By contrast the interior is “pure white,” even down to the floors.
This serves as a “white canvas for incorporating art in the form of positive thinking,” said the architect. The house is “appropriately sized,” benefitting its favourable economical use and maintenance, said the designers. Over time, a carport equipped with solar panels as well as a vegetable greenhouse will augment the sustainability provided by the heat pump.
Fránek commented that such “formally pure houses” tend to be “demanded by strong personalities who have their own idea of their direction, their place in this world and the values their family represents.” He added, “The exterior is characteristic with its artistic beauty, the art of ageing and immersing itself into greenery. It expresses a kind of harmony with the universe.”
In the interior of such houses, he commented, this purity “allows thoughts to flow and makes their personalities and intellect stand out.”
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ADF FEBRUARY 2021
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