Recreational Facility Ošelín

Location
A German investor was looking for an interesting property with a story in the Czech countryside near the border, where he could settle in his old age. Together with an architect, they discovered a farmstead No. 19 in the originally German village of Ošelín, which had remained uninhabited since World War II. In the buildings, we find interwar newspapers and other artifacts of that time; the genius loci is indescribable. The old homestead fell asleep over seventy years ago and remained abandoned; time stood still here…

Design
We respect and simultaneously protect the values in the area, the mature centuries-old oaks, and the existing architecture. Even though the existing buildings are in a desolate state, they represent historical value for us that must be preserved and reconstructed in a traditional way. The main task of the entire project was to highlight the tension between old and new architecture. The contrast of form is clear and readable. The new structure is placed between the existing masses of the former farmstead, the barn, and the residential house, closing off the property from the southern side from the access road. The ground-level horizontal mass with a sauna creates a covered entrance and driveway, while also connecting with the two-story mass containing apartments. Two identical apartments, each 3+kk in size, are accessible via a covered outdoor staircase; the exact cubic mass contrasts with the village buildings, represented by the archetype - a house with a gable roof.
The new building is the first stage of construction and will serve as a family base for future renovations of the existing buildings, the house with a stable and the barn.

Construction and Materials
Due to the requirement for quick construction, a prefabricated wooden structure with a diffusion-open design made of ecological natural materials was chosen (the compositions do not contain PVC films).
We use traditional building materials (wood, stone), their textures and colors, but in a contemporary, modern way. We strive to utilize the work of local craftsmen as much as possible, materials from local sources, thus minimizing transportation and energy costs. The stone, local schist, for building the retaining walls is obtained directly from the site, which is partially on weathered rock. The stone flooring in the interior, Teplice trachyte, is chosen from the only quarry in the Czech Republic, located 30 km from the construction. The wood for the façade, unplaned larch, is obtained from a local sawmill in Nynkov, which is 5 km away. The oak flooring in the living areas, industrial edging, is also from the region.

Awards
Grand Prix of Architects Award 2014, National Award for Architecture in the category "Architectural Design, Minor Architecture, and Artistic Work in Architecture."