Family house in Liberec

The plot in the attractive location of Starý Harcov on the edge of the Jizera Mountains is bordered on two sides by service roads, which lead up to the higher main road on the northern side.

The house is positioned parallel to the upper edge of the rectangular plot, and its underground part is embedded in the embankment of the main road. The intensive green surface of the roof of the underground garage seamlessly connects to the surrounding terrain. The building has two faces - the northern "street" facade creates a single-story illusion, evoking a sense of inaccessibility and ambiguity regarding the building's classification, while the southern "private" and accumulative facade reveals the size of the house, being open and friendly. The ideal orientation of the house towards the cardinal directions stems from the requirement for low-energy operational costs and, together with the greenery, creates both a noise and visual barrier from the busy road.

The main entrance to the ground floor, with a vestibule and wardrobe, is located on the northern side. On the axis of the entrance is a view through the central living area of the house into the garden. The axis of the view visually divides the daytime part into a dining room with kitchen, including the adjoining laundry with pantry, connected by an entry to the garage, and into the living part with fireplace, featuring an elevated platform with integrated storage containers, illuminated by a large-format corner window from the southeast. The living space "flows" into the first floor, which is zoned into three parts connected by a corridor. The east-oriented parents’ zone includes a bedroom with wardrobe and bathroom. The large-format corner window in the bedroom offers a relaxing view of the Jizera Mountains with the possibility of waking up to morning sunlight. The middle room is designated for guests. The children's zone, with the largest room on the floor, is oriented on the western side of the house and can be divided as needed into two independent rooms with separate entrances. All rooms lead to the southern loggia, which is enclosed with sliding panels and serves not only for relaxation but also as a thermal accumulator utilizing solar energy. Utility spaces are similarly located in the northern part of the layout, just like on the ground floor. The first floor is accessible from the exterior via a separate entrance from the green roof of the garage, making it possible for the house to be adapted with minimal technical interventions into two independent residential units in consideration of relative future needs.

Combining the investor's requirements for minimal time burden maintaining the property, low-energy operational costs, and harsh winter climate, a larger part of the house on the northern side is wrapped in titanium-zinc metal cladding. The garage with technical facilities and storage is executed in monolithic exposed concrete with a flat roof featuring an intensive green surface. The facade of the first floor is plastered for minimal maintenance, while the ground floor is dominated by spruce cladding, evoking a "homey warmth." The load-bearing structure was designed in brick for thermal accumulation with exposed monolithic ceilings. Thermal comfort in the building is provided by underfloor heating with a heat pump, using a water-heated fireplace insert as a secondary source for heat.

The design, which the investors initially approached with uncertainty, has met with the greatest success from the grandparents, and currently, after several years of operation, they too are proud owners of their "original."