Family House Mšeno

A beautiful view, yet close to the city center in a quiet residential area; at first glance, an ideal plot, and yet empty. Despite the low price, the steepness of the plot discouraged potential buyers, as it did not allow for the construction of a typical house.
This plot was selected by a person who loves challenges and placed all their trust in us. Even with our reassurance, they did not expect that they would ultimately have a house without compromises, and yet they purchased the plot. The client, a construction company owner, was also their own builder. They became familiar with our work during one of our joint projects, transforming the typical triangle of client-builder-architect into an amazing dialogue between client and architect.
The simple volume of the building is supported by two four-legged frames on a steel grid in open space. The grid is connected to the slope at the entry point. These three fixed points hold the timber construction with a comfortable layout for a typical family.
At first glance, the striking solution conceals many effective advantages. The house is located in the Jizera Mountains, where snow (especially its melting) would bring continuous complications when embedding the house into the slope. The relatively simple foundation and savings on waterproofing saved a lot of money for the rest of the construction.
Even the wish for a single-story house, which the client had internally given up when purchasing the plot, was fulfilled. On one level, the layout includes a living room, dining room, and kitchen, three bedrooms, an office, technical facilities, a bathroom with a sauna, and a separate toilet. All of this is accessible without barriers from the road by the house.
The overhanging roof protects the large glazed areas from overheating in the summer, while allowing plenty of sunlight into the house in the winter. From each bedroom, there is access to a terrace with a view of the garden, the city, and the foothills of the mountains. The crowns of the trees and the terrace perfectly compensate for the direct entry to the garden, which in our case resembles a black ski slope. However, to see the house from the most attractive perspectives, you need to run down this slope around the house on your own feet or ski down.

Usable area:  113 m²  +  (41 m² terrace)