Family house in Zdiby

This family house was built on a sunny plot above the valley of the Přemyšlenský stream in Zdiby near Prague. The plot is part of a newly established residential development on a subdivision at the edge of the existing village.
The basis of the architectural concept of the building is to utilize the natural advantages of the site: a sloped area with a southern orientation and a view of the surrounding landscape - primarily towards the nearby pond in the village. Access to the plot is from the street on the north side of the building.
The design of the building emphasized the optimal orientation of the house to the cardinal points and its placement on the plot. The design of the house meticulously adapts to the sloped site, and its height placement respects the natural terrain.
The basic requirements in the design included direct contact of the living space with the garden and ample daylight in all living areas. The living rooms benefit from a view to the south, opening through large windows into the garden.
The house has two floors. The main living space is located on the ground floor, which is partially embedded into the slope, while the bedrooms are on the upper level, and the main entrance area is at an intermediate level at about two-thirds of the height of the floor. The mass of the upper floor slightly retreats compared to the ground floor, following the slope of the terrain and creating a small terrace in front of it (with a large planter for greenery).
Directly behind the entrance to the building is a stairwell - a central room that connects spaces within the house not only operationally but also visually. From the entrance to the house, one can see through the entire house into the garden and beyond - into the landscape. The stairs lead down to the open space of the living room, which is connected to the kitchen and dining area. The southern wall of the living space is fully glazed almost to the full height of the floor - ensuring maximum contact with the garden. A corner fireplace is the centerpiece of the living area.
Connected to the living room is the outdoor living space. This area is shielded from direct views from neighboring houses; its privacy is provided by the protruding wing with a guest room on the eastern side and a shielding wall projecting from the mass of the building on the west side. In the future, this space will be complemented by a wooden deck, a flowering herb bed, and a small fountain near the shielding wall.
Part of the lower floor, which is embedded below the outdoor level of the terrain, is used for utility rooms: pantry, WC, technical room, laundry, bathroom with sauna. The reduced ceiling height of these spaces corresponds to their lesser importance and requirements.
On the upper floor, there are three bedrooms and an office. The parents' bedroom is in a separate position in the protruding eastern wing. The children's bedrooms, on the other hand, have remained temporarily connected into a large space. The layout of the upper floor is complemented by bathrooms and wardrobes for its inhabitants.
There is space for parking two vehicles (to be covered in the future with a wooden pergola) and a small storage area for bicycles, etc.
The façades of the building are clad in wooden (thermowood) facing combined with gray plaster. The facade materials accentuate the mass composition of the house.
A similar material combination will be used for the fencing and other elements complementing the building - wooden pergola, walls, wooden trellis.
The house is built of ceramic blocks, with a monolithic ceiling structure, a roof with an inverted composition covered with gravel. The floors are made of large-format ceramic tiles and teak industrial mosaic. The tiles in the bathrooms are made of white glass mosaic.
The large windows are aluminum in a dark metallic color. All large glazed areas are fitted with external blinds with automation.
The builder requested forced ventilation of the living spaces due to noise from airplanes landing at Václav Havel Airport. The ventilation system is equipped with heat recovery, and its continuous operation ensures a consistently pleasant air quality inside the house.
The heat source is a heat pump with two deep wells and two solar collectors. Most spaces are heated with underfloor heating.
Additional equipment includes localized cooling in some rooms (connected to the heat pump with an inverse operation capability), a central vacuum system, and a security system.
The terraced concept of the building's mass is also reflected in the garden arrangements at the lower part of the plot. The garden is divided into three terraces using stone retaining walls. It is thus divided into areas: the upper living area adjacent to the house with a connecting lawn and flowering groups, the middle section with a meadow of drought-resistant plants, and the lower part with a living lawn and a small vegetable garden. Mature trees and other lower greenery have been planted in the garden.
In the section of the plot between the house and the street, a wall separates the entrance garden from the parking area for vehicles.

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Construction part: K4 a.s.
Garden design: Miroslava Svorová

Built-up area: 180.2 m²
Usable area: 234.5 m²
Living area: 121.5 m²

Total annual electricity consumption for heating and hot water: 7144 kWh/year
Energy demand (heating and hot water): 32.5 kWh/year/m²