Ideal family house for lovers of large glass spaces, natural elements, and the connection of modern with traditional

In a small village in the Vysočina region near Jihlava, a cozy family house was built a few years ago, whose charm lies primarily in the non-intrusive integration of the house concept into the exterior, in the large glazed areas of the peripheral walls, in the open spaces, in the use of high-quality natural materials that emphasize their natural properties and colors, or in the combination of new with old to antique, all while maintaining a sense of pure elegance, modesty, and airiness. The owner of the family house often travels around the world due to his profession, so it is not surprising that he brings back and continues to bring many inspirations from his travels, which he also used when deciding on the form of his own home. At first glance, the family house is architecturally designed in two main parts. The first, single-storey part of the house with a shed roof and Finnish pine cladding includes the so-called living area with large glazed surfaces, allowing plenty of light into the living room with dining area and kitchen throughout the day, and warmth on sunny days. The second part, two-storey with gray plaster and also receiving sufficient daylight thanks to large-format aluminum windows, serves a quiet function. Besides two bedrooms and two children's rooms, it also includes a dressing room and appropriate hygienic facilities. Both spaces are tastefully connected by a cozy study combined with a gallery and library. In the ground floor of the quiet part of the house, besides the main entrance with a vestibule, dressing room, laundry room, and toilet, you would also find a double garage, workshop, or technical room.

“Designing a family house so that the family feels good in it is the hardest task for any responsible architect. Let alone if it involves designing a home for one's own son's family,” says Ing. arch. Vladimír Nikiforov, the project author, adding: “Even though my son did not study architecture and does not work in the field, I dare say he has a touch of architectural thinking within him. He could have inherited it, and he has grown up among architect parents all his life, which surely leaves a mark on you. Nevertheless, it was necessary, just as in 'foreign' projects, to create the right compromise between my approach as the architect and the position of the investor/son, who is a 'non-architect.' In the end, I dare say we managed to build a fully functional and aesthetically appealing architectural whole.”

During the design of the project, two basic factors played a role: the fact that the plot is located on a gentle slope in an unspoiled landscape next to a forest, and the fundamental requirement of the investor for a large living room, a study with a gallery, a guest room, a bedroom, and two children's rooms. Another important element of the project was the emphasis on achieving the highest possible connection of the exterior to the interior through large-format windows and sliding doors. “The decision regarding the selection of windows was probably the simplest and quickest part of the entire project when I think back on it,” says the house owner, adding: “We knew we didn't want plastic or wooden windows, as they didn’t fit our concept. From the beginning, our favorites were large aluminum windows with the narrowest frames and good utility properties. Since we encountered the company DAFE-PLAST in Jihlava, which recommended the Schüco aluminum window and door system, our choice was clear.” The largest glazed area of the house is located in the living room, where these large-format windows are arranged in a corner.


The natural appearance and popularity of natural materials permeate not only the exterior, where, for example, the gray facade of the house will eventually be covered with Virginia creeper and change according to the incoming season, just like the greenery growing in wire constructions serving as a fence, but also the interior, whose current form stands thanks to the work of Lukáš Holub from the Liberec studio mjölk architekti, a student of the Faculty of Art and Architecture at TU Liberec and now a good friend of the house owner. “In my work, it is always most important to understand the wishes and requirements that future residents of the interior have for their living space. With Marek, this was not a problem at all. We are both lovers of natural materials that express their natural appearance, we like to experiment and combine modern with traditional, always with respect for the old known rule that says that simplicity is beauty,” explains Lukáš Holub. In the interior, three basic materials alternate: concrete, metal, and wood. The ceilings of the rooms in the quiet part of the house bear untreated concrete panels, which beautifully contrast with the solid oak flooring treated with natural oil. In the bathroom, the floor and walls feature gray epoxy screed, which is practical for maintenance and further emphasizes the beauty of the wooden cladding around the bathtub, two large ceramic sinks with mirrors, and the spruce planks stained white on the ceiling. These also cover the ceilings of the entire living part of the house, for which a screed imitating classic Pandomo concrete was chosen as the flooring material.

The wall colors are resolved subtly. “I advocate for white or neutral shades on the walls, as bold colors can quickly become tiresome. Bold colors on the walls also unnecessarily reduce the space. It is therefore better to enliven the interior, for example, by choosing bolder accessories,” specifies Lukáš Holub. The white-painted living room, which flows freely into the dining area and kitchen, is thus highlighted by a brown sofa with colored cushions, two yellow armchairs, and a red rug. Another beautiful and dominant element of the living room is the chimney of the fireplace, the cladding of which, although it may not seem so, is simply put an acid-etched ordinary sheet metal. Metal elements also permeate the rest of the interior, primarily through galvanized and wall-mounted steel cables, on which specific lighting fixtures are hung. The same cables stylishly serve instead of traditional railings on the staircase leading from the ground floor, through the living room, to the study. Another dominant element in the living part is the red extractor hood in the otherwise calm and bright kitchen with a kitchen unit made of wooden plywood. The striking extractor hood is also suspended over the kitchen island on steel cables.

The spaces are heated through water underfloor heating combined with a recovery unit and the already mentioned fireplace insert. Since the recovery unit had to be placed directly in the living room for technical reasons, the project authors concealed it behind an elegantly appearing boundary of white-stained spruce logs, which also serves as storage for firewood intended for the fireplace. The vast majority of the furnishings and accessories were custom-made or even crafted by hand. In the study, for example, there is an antique table from a second-hand store, which only needed a new top and looks as good as new. Custom-made beds, staircases, and unique original industrial design light fixtures were created. We also cannot forget the bookshelves and TV stand, which were assembled from enlarged replicas of the Merkur construction set. Originality certainly played a significant role in this realization, and it paid off!

More information about Schüco window and door systems can be found at www.schueco.cz.