Reconstruction for Parents

A two-generation family house stands as the last in a row in a residential area built in the 1970s. To the west, only meadows and forests open up – pleasant views of the hilly landscape of South Bohemia. The semi-buried ground floor occupies garages and technical facilities, while the upper floors contain two residential units. The apartment located on the lower floor is undergoing reconstruction. The existing layout is operationally unsatisfactory; an oversized hallway unnecessarily prolongs the communication space, the kitchen is too small with an inadequately sized table, and the main living area lacks mutual contact, while the rooms miss a promising connection to the garden. However, any changes are hindered by the combination of longitudinal and transverse wall systems.
We keep the entrance to the apartment. The hallway becomes a wardrobe – a pre-space for the bedroom and bathroom. To access the main living area, one must squeeze past the neck of a large furniture element – a double-sided dark wardrobe wall. It runs through all the rooms, with storage spaces adapting to the function of the spaces they are part of: it accommodates built-in appliances in the kitchen, a PC desk in the living room, and it even conceals a work desk with a sewing machine in its depths. It becomes a unifying element, a distinctive motif of the apartment. The kitchen unit has a closable countertop behind the work surface, and a central island visually separates the elevated partition. The surface – light wood – contrasts with the dark cabinet, just as the large round dining table with eight chairs does. From the dining room, one can access the terrace through a newly cut French window. Through it, a beautiful view of the garden penetrates the apartment, along with ample light and afternoon sun. Its rays, passing along the long wardrobe deep into the previously dark corner of the living room, contribute to a pleasant evening atmosphere.