Family House for Young Hockey Players in Mladá Boleslav
ASSIGNMENT
The investor's wish was to create a simple single-storey house for the rich family life of a young sports family with two small boys, considering their limited financial resources. Emphasis was placed on maximizing the connection between the living area's interior and the exterior, providing sufficient light throughout the house, and ensuring ample storage space for a lot of sports equipment, including a required room for drying hockey and soccer gear.
IDEAL INVESTOR
The design of the house went ideally, as my client, the sister and her brother-in-law, invited me to the design process during the selection of the land. This allowed us to influence the selection as well. We came across an opportunity to purchase a very interesting plot burdened by a "liability" that deterred several buyers before us. Another slight disadvantage was that it was approximately 80 cm lower than the neighboring properties. However, it was precisely because of these “negatives” that it remained for sale while new houses were already built on the neighboring plots.
After the initial sketches of what could be developed on the land, the purchase was made, and the issue of unburdening the plot was addressed, which took about a year. It was definitely worth it.
I am still amazed at how little attention ordinary builders pay to the selection of land and focus mainly on the house. But from experience, it is clear that the plot is more important than the house itself. It is very difficult to build a quality house on a poor plot; however, on a quality plot, it practically comes together by itself. Another advantage during the design process was the almost limitless trust in my ideas, which positively reflected in the overall work. The architect's intention was not diluted by inconclusive and thoughtless interventions from the investor. Without the architect (properly) knowing their client well, it is impossible to design a house tailor-made for them. Furthermore, a similar outlook on the world and values is necessary between both parties.
LOCATION and PLOT
The building plot has the shape of an irregular pentagon and is located in a quiet part of the municipality of Chrást near Mladá Boleslav. The northern side of the plot adjoins a forest.
PLACEMENT ON THE PLOT
The house is situated on the plot in a way that maximizes the usable part of the garden by being placed with minimal setbacks from the plot boundaries (2 m) and minimal distance from the neighboring house (7 m). The outer walls of the house are parallel to the boundaries of the lot. This placement in the shape of a hockey stick ensures perfect shielding of the street from the living garden and windows of the residential rooms.
ARCHITECTURE AND FORM SOLUTION
The house consists of two masses. The living area is made up of a simple rectangular prism, from which a lower structure of the garage with a sauna emerges, shaped as an irregular polygon responding to the plot's shape. Both masses partially overlap to prevent visibility from the street into the garden. The passage to the garden is softened by rounded corners to allow smoother movement from the street into the house.
The house has one above-ground floor and is not basement. The roofs are flat. The connection of the living space with the covered terrace, i.e., the garden, is achieved by "one hundred percent" glazing from floor to ceiling and across the entire width of the room. High levels of sunlight are achieved through the use of roof skylights and a light tunnel in the hallway. Despite significant resistance from the construction company against installing skylights, their role once again proved irreplaceable, as they can bring light into the middle of the layout, where there would otherwise be darkness. By the way, the construction company's resistance was apparently so great that not one of the three skylights was installed according to the construction documentation :-) !?. A tip for builders: If you sense resistance from a construction company regarding a particular solution, it is necessary to exert increased control over how the detail will be implemented or to look for another company.
HOUSE LAYOUT
Through the hallway with a “secret” wardrobe, around the toilet and drying room, one enters the living space with a kitchenette, pantry, dining room, and relaxation area, from which there is access to the study (guest room).
In the northern part of the house, there is a private zone with two children's rooms, a children's bathroom, a technical room, and a master bedroom with its own wardrobe and bathroom.
The living space is flush connected to the covered western terrace through a sliding lift HS portal.
The window fills the entire area of the western “wall.” The originally intended connection of the rooms to the garden through balcony doors was canceled for financial savings, and surprisingly, it did not detract from the functionality of the house according to the architect.
The structure with the garage includes a garden house and a sauna, with a cooling pond installed in a bed with grasses.
MATERIAL SOLUTION AND CONSTRUCTION
The walls of the house are made of ceramic blocks Porotherm 38 T Profi filled with mineral wool.
The ceiling structure consists of wooden beams with a cladding and gypsum board ceiling. The roof is insulated with mineral wool.
The facade of the residential house is plastered and the garage is clad with vertical wooden siding made of Siberian larch, which has two widths.
Western windows of the bedrooms are shaded with exterior blinds, and the shading of the living room is ensured by the roof overhang.
Privacy in the living room is ensured by an internal curtain.
Anthracite windows and balcony doors are aluminum with triple glazing. In the living room, there is a four-part sliding HS portal with sliding middle sections to both sides, creating a passage width of 3.3 m when opened. Three roof skylights and a light tunnel are installed in the roof.
The roof is flat without overhang, covered with mechanically anchored mPVC.
Attached to the garage is a sauna and a garden house. Everything is cladded with vertical larch profiles in rhombus shape.
Access to the house, the space between the house and the garage, and the terrace are covered.
An interesting feature is the arches at the entrance, which ensure a smoother passage through the "chicane" into the house.
The terrace is supported, instead of classic beams, by branched trunks of acacia trees, which not only beautifully communicate with the adjacent forest when viewed from the interior.
The plasters are gypsum.
INTERIOR
The floors are bonded oak.
The fireplace "block," which includes the entrance to the pantry and the study, is covered with gray concrete plaster instead of plaster. Doors with hidden frames are fitted here, which are not visible at first glance.
A striking element of the living room is the bright yellow kitchen, which beautifully illuminates the entire interior even on gloomy days.
In the hallway, there is a "secret" walk-in closet designed entirely as a carpentry product.
FENCING AND ENTRANCE TO THE PLOT
On the southern side by the road, the plot is not fenced at its boundary. The fencing consists of the house itself complemented by a few fence panels deeper into the plot. This creates a semi-public parking area for two cars, which is used more than the garage itself. The fencing is made of wire 2D panels 1.8 m high.
PARKING
There are a total of 4 parking spaces on the plot, of which two are in the garage.
PAVED AREAS
The parking area by the garage is paved with large-format concrete tiles.
The garden terrace in front of the living room and sauna consists of smooth boards made of Siberian larch.
HEATING AND COOLING
The house is heated using underfloor heating and a Nibe air-water heat pump with a power of 6 kW, with the outdoor unit located on the northern side of the house. The secondary heat source consists of a Seguin fireplace insert with a power of 9 kW.
Air conditioning is installed in the house with four indoor units.
OTHER EQUIPMENT OF THE HOUSE
A central vacuum cleaner is installed in the house.
In the garden, a buried concrete rainwater storage tank with a volume of 12 m³ is used for automatic irrigation of the garden.
There is a drilled well on the plot with a diameter of 254 mm (internal diameter 205 mm).
In the sauna, a heater with a power of 11 kW is installed.
The cooling tank for the sauna with biological filtration has a volume of 8 m³.
An automatic mower cuts the garden.
GARDEN
Part of our house design was also the garden design, which was successfully implemented by Jan Šafařík, who managed to brilliantly handle all requirements, including the installation of an almost two-ton stone in the middle of the garden. The organic area of the lawn is defined by steel curbs and an islet with a tree, into which a well cover is integrated, and a charging station for the automatic mower is placed. The flower beds are designed as "gravel," or they consist of larger fraction quarry stone brought directly from a nearby quarry. In the northern corner of the garden, raised beds, a woodpile, and behind the house a "edible" noodle are placed, where raspberries, blueberries, blackberries, etc. are planted. The garden layout also accounted for the possibility of placing hockey and soccer goals on the lawn for home training.
The design combines perennials and grasses with an emphasis on structure and seasonal color so that part of the garden is colorful in every season. Several massive stones were brought to the plot from the quarry. A new Scots pine is planted at the entrance, and in the island in the garden, a trifoliate desmodium grows ornamentally with small leaves of a fresh color. Around the fence, bushes such as Viburnum, bay laurel are planted, and a special feature is the fruiting kiwi or raised beds taken from the permaculture garden.
ATYPICAL DETAILS
The house was designed down to the last detail, including door stops drilled into the wall or embedding the owners' name into the facade with ceramic Azulejos tiles brought from Portugal.
A hidden wardrobe in the hallway.
Recessed ceramic skirting boards in the plastered wall.
Beveled edges of the skylight in the living room, which allow significantly more light into the room than if they were perpendicular.
A hanging light above the kitchen island directly below the skylight lowered from an inserted tube.
Recessed glass (non-combustible area) in the wooden floor in front of the fireplace.
Metal niche for firewood on the side of the fireplace.
Colored kitchen.
Cooling pond in front of the sauna.
Backlit wooden terrace.
Concrete plaster on the wings of the doors with hidden frames.
Wooden cladding in rhombus of two different widths.
Gutters with chains diverting rainwater from the roof above the terrace.
CONCLUSION
Although the construction company did not initially understand the unconventional design and wanted to do things more their way, thanks to the good work of technical supervision, the patience of the investors, and regular author supervision of the architect on the construction, it was possible to create a work from which the users reportedly derive great joy and the desired benefit.
The investor's wish was to create a simple single-storey house for the rich family life of a young sports family with two small boys, considering their limited financial resources. Emphasis was placed on maximizing the connection between the living area's interior and the exterior, providing sufficient light throughout the house, and ensuring ample storage space for a lot of sports equipment, including a required room for drying hockey and soccer gear.
IDEAL INVESTOR
The design of the house went ideally, as my client, the sister and her brother-in-law, invited me to the design process during the selection of the land. This allowed us to influence the selection as well. We came across an opportunity to purchase a very interesting plot burdened by a "liability" that deterred several buyers before us. Another slight disadvantage was that it was approximately 80 cm lower than the neighboring properties. However, it was precisely because of these “negatives” that it remained for sale while new houses were already built on the neighboring plots.
After the initial sketches of what could be developed on the land, the purchase was made, and the issue of unburdening the plot was addressed, which took about a year. It was definitely worth it.
I am still amazed at how little attention ordinary builders pay to the selection of land and focus mainly on the house. But from experience, it is clear that the plot is more important than the house itself. It is very difficult to build a quality house on a poor plot; however, on a quality plot, it practically comes together by itself. Another advantage during the design process was the almost limitless trust in my ideas, which positively reflected in the overall work. The architect's intention was not diluted by inconclusive and thoughtless interventions from the investor. Without the architect (properly) knowing their client well, it is impossible to design a house tailor-made for them. Furthermore, a similar outlook on the world and values is necessary between both parties.
LOCATION and PLOT
The building plot has the shape of an irregular pentagon and is located in a quiet part of the municipality of Chrást near Mladá Boleslav. The northern side of the plot adjoins a forest.
PLACEMENT ON THE PLOT
The house is situated on the plot in a way that maximizes the usable part of the garden by being placed with minimal setbacks from the plot boundaries (2 m) and minimal distance from the neighboring house (7 m). The outer walls of the house are parallel to the boundaries of the lot. This placement in the shape of a hockey stick ensures perfect shielding of the street from the living garden and windows of the residential rooms.
ARCHITECTURE AND FORM SOLUTION
The house consists of two masses. The living area is made up of a simple rectangular prism, from which a lower structure of the garage with a sauna emerges, shaped as an irregular polygon responding to the plot's shape. Both masses partially overlap to prevent visibility from the street into the garden. The passage to the garden is softened by rounded corners to allow smoother movement from the street into the house.
The house has one above-ground floor and is not basement. The roofs are flat. The connection of the living space with the covered terrace, i.e., the garden, is achieved by "one hundred percent" glazing from floor to ceiling and across the entire width of the room. High levels of sunlight are achieved through the use of roof skylights and a light tunnel in the hallway. Despite significant resistance from the construction company against installing skylights, their role once again proved irreplaceable, as they can bring light into the middle of the layout, where there would otherwise be darkness. By the way, the construction company's resistance was apparently so great that not one of the three skylights was installed according to the construction documentation :-) !?. A tip for builders: If you sense resistance from a construction company regarding a particular solution, it is necessary to exert increased control over how the detail will be implemented or to look for another company.
HOUSE LAYOUT
Through the hallway with a “secret” wardrobe, around the toilet and drying room, one enters the living space with a kitchenette, pantry, dining room, and relaxation area, from which there is access to the study (guest room).
In the northern part of the house, there is a private zone with two children's rooms, a children's bathroom, a technical room, and a master bedroom with its own wardrobe and bathroom.
The living space is flush connected to the covered western terrace through a sliding lift HS portal.
The window fills the entire area of the western “wall.” The originally intended connection of the rooms to the garden through balcony doors was canceled for financial savings, and surprisingly, it did not detract from the functionality of the house according to the architect.
The structure with the garage includes a garden house and a sauna, with a cooling pond installed in a bed with grasses.
MATERIAL SOLUTION AND CONSTRUCTION
The walls of the house are made of ceramic blocks Porotherm 38 T Profi filled with mineral wool.
The ceiling structure consists of wooden beams with a cladding and gypsum board ceiling. The roof is insulated with mineral wool.
The facade of the residential house is plastered and the garage is clad with vertical wooden siding made of Siberian larch, which has two widths.
Western windows of the bedrooms are shaded with exterior blinds, and the shading of the living room is ensured by the roof overhang.
Privacy in the living room is ensured by an internal curtain.
Anthracite windows and balcony doors are aluminum with triple glazing. In the living room, there is a four-part sliding HS portal with sliding middle sections to both sides, creating a passage width of 3.3 m when opened. Three roof skylights and a light tunnel are installed in the roof.
The roof is flat without overhang, covered with mechanically anchored mPVC.
Attached to the garage is a sauna and a garden house. Everything is cladded with vertical larch profiles in rhombus shape.
Access to the house, the space between the house and the garage, and the terrace are covered.
An interesting feature is the arches at the entrance, which ensure a smoother passage through the "chicane" into the house.
The terrace is supported, instead of classic beams, by branched trunks of acacia trees, which not only beautifully communicate with the adjacent forest when viewed from the interior.
The plasters are gypsum.
INTERIOR
The floors are bonded oak.
The fireplace "block," which includes the entrance to the pantry and the study, is covered with gray concrete plaster instead of plaster. Doors with hidden frames are fitted here, which are not visible at first glance.
A striking element of the living room is the bright yellow kitchen, which beautifully illuminates the entire interior even on gloomy days.
In the hallway, there is a "secret" walk-in closet designed entirely as a carpentry product.
FENCING AND ENTRANCE TO THE PLOT
On the southern side by the road, the plot is not fenced at its boundary. The fencing consists of the house itself complemented by a few fence panels deeper into the plot. This creates a semi-public parking area for two cars, which is used more than the garage itself. The fencing is made of wire 2D panels 1.8 m high.
PARKING
There are a total of 4 parking spaces on the plot, of which two are in the garage.
PAVED AREAS
The parking area by the garage is paved with large-format concrete tiles.
The garden terrace in front of the living room and sauna consists of smooth boards made of Siberian larch.
HEATING AND COOLING
The house is heated using underfloor heating and a Nibe air-water heat pump with a power of 6 kW, with the outdoor unit located on the northern side of the house. The secondary heat source consists of a Seguin fireplace insert with a power of 9 kW.
Air conditioning is installed in the house with four indoor units.
OTHER EQUIPMENT OF THE HOUSE
A central vacuum cleaner is installed in the house.
In the garden, a buried concrete rainwater storage tank with a volume of 12 m³ is used for automatic irrigation of the garden.
There is a drilled well on the plot with a diameter of 254 mm (internal diameter 205 mm).
In the sauna, a heater with a power of 11 kW is installed.
The cooling tank for the sauna with biological filtration has a volume of 8 m³.
An automatic mower cuts the garden.
GARDEN
Part of our house design was also the garden design, which was successfully implemented by Jan Šafařík, who managed to brilliantly handle all requirements, including the installation of an almost two-ton stone in the middle of the garden. The organic area of the lawn is defined by steel curbs and an islet with a tree, into which a well cover is integrated, and a charging station for the automatic mower is placed. The flower beds are designed as "gravel," or they consist of larger fraction quarry stone brought directly from a nearby quarry. In the northern corner of the garden, raised beds, a woodpile, and behind the house a "edible" noodle are placed, where raspberries, blueberries, blackberries, etc. are planted. The garden layout also accounted for the possibility of placing hockey and soccer goals on the lawn for home training.
The design combines perennials and grasses with an emphasis on structure and seasonal color so that part of the garden is colorful in every season. Several massive stones were brought to the plot from the quarry. A new Scots pine is planted at the entrance, and in the island in the garden, a trifoliate desmodium grows ornamentally with small leaves of a fresh color. Around the fence, bushes such as Viburnum, bay laurel are planted, and a special feature is the fruiting kiwi or raised beds taken from the permaculture garden.
ATYPICAL DETAILS
The house was designed down to the last detail, including door stops drilled into the wall or embedding the owners' name into the facade with ceramic Azulejos tiles brought from Portugal.
A hidden wardrobe in the hallway.
Recessed ceramic skirting boards in the plastered wall.
Beveled edges of the skylight in the living room, which allow significantly more light into the room than if they were perpendicular.
A hanging light above the kitchen island directly below the skylight lowered from an inserted tube.
Recessed glass (non-combustible area) in the wooden floor in front of the fireplace.
Metal niche for firewood on the side of the fireplace.
Colored kitchen.
Cooling pond in front of the sauna.
Backlit wooden terrace.
Concrete plaster on the wings of the doors with hidden frames.
Wooden cladding in rhombus of two different widths.
Gutters with chains diverting rainwater from the roof above the terrace.
CONCLUSION
Although the construction company did not initially understand the unconventional design and wanted to do things more their way, thanks to the good work of technical supervision, the patience of the investors, and regular author supervision of the architect on the construction, it was possible to create a work from which the users reportedly derive great joy and the desired benefit.
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Krásný barák!
Vít Blaha
20.03.23 03:35
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