Simple, elegant, and functional
... solutions not only for recreation
Publisher
Tisková zpráva
11.08.2010 14:00
Tisková zpráva
11.08.2010 14:00
The country house in Provodín is a recreational property in the true sense of the word. The owner did not want to share the fate of most typical weekenders who buy a cottage only to become its slaves for the rest of their “weekend lives.” Repairing the roof, replacing gutters, cleaning chimneys... and before one knows it, the weekend is gone. The investor of the house in Provodín avoided this exhausting cycle by opting for new construction over renovation.
The house in Provodín is located at the foot of Kraví Hora in the Česká Lípa region. The typically sandstone face of this area has a unique atmosphere and continues to inspire many Czech artists to this day. The project was designed by Ing. arch. Filip Řepka from the Prague studio S.P.A.D., which has behind it several dozen successful realizations, ranging from individual architecture to apartment buildings. In designing the family house in Provodín, architect Řepka was inspired by the stone architecture of northwestern Europe. The simple shapes of the architecture there are timeless in many ways and utilize the material resources offered by the Česká Lípa landscape. It became the architect's ideal starting point for combining a modern yet rural appearance for the house. Thus, the new construction in Provodín did not disrupt the magical solitude of the four farms situated in the midst of the protected landscape area Natura 2000 and visually respects the historical buildings.
Dilemma: renovation of the farm or new construction?
The investor used the land neighboring the family farm where he once stayed with his parents. Undoubtedly, it was also the family roots that guided him in his sensitive approach to seeking an optimal project and in communicating with the architect. It should be noted that due to the protected landscape, the environmental department of the Municipal Office in Česká Lípa actively supervised the project for the family house in Provodín. “I must admit that at first I toyed with the idea of buying a farm that I would renovate. I would avoid the search for a face of the house that would perfectly fit into the local landscape, possible rejection by the authorities... However, the investment in new construction does not differ in price from renovation, and a new house has its advantages. For all, I would mention higher comfort and less demanding maintenance of the house,” explains the investor.
Flexible heating of the house
It is true that traditional Czech buildings are not ideal for recreational purposes from the perspective of thermal comfort. Sometimes up to one-meter-thick exterior walls slowly accumulate heat, and in winter, the interiors do not warm up sufficiently during a short weekend. The investor emphasized comfortable relaxation, adapting the structural solution of the house to this. The building is made of Ytong aerated concrete, which guarantees users a unique microclimate throughout the year. Aerated concrete is an ideal material in terms of thermal comfort not only because it achieves higher thermal insulation than other masonry elements. Ytong also has an optimal thermal inertia. Therefore, it well withstands changes in outside temperatures while allowing a relatively flexible change in temperature upon entering a cooled house after prolonged absence. The family house in Provodín has a central hot-water heating system with an electric boiler. In most spaces, there are panel radiators, while in the main living area (40 m²), there are floor convectors. The fireplace in the living room is connected to the heating system through a heat exchanger.
Comfort even without insulation
The investor has previously worked in construction professionally; therefore, he supervised the building himself. The result was a truly precisely executed shell structure, built by a local firm from Česká Lípa. “The quality of construction was all the more important for us because the owner opted for an uninsulated structure. The thermal technical parameters of the masonry largely depend on adherence to prescribed construction procedures during masonry work. The discipline on the construction site is more complicated with bricks, and the constructed masonry is additionally weakened by subsequent installations, where perforated bricks can start to crumble like gingerbread. With Ytong, the conduits can easily be grooved,” concludes the architect, explaining why they leaned towards Ytong for the structural system selection.
Even with irregular occupancy, the building breathes
During use, the owner appreciated another property of the aerated concrete: the material is breathable. If the exterior wall is not sealed with sealant or adhesive and diffusive open plasters are used, the building breathes. The breathability of the masonry plays a significant role especially in recreational properties, as they are prone to mold formation in the interiors due to irregular rhythms of occupancy or ventilation. The investor dealt with humidity only in the first year of occupancy when the structure was drying out. Today, according to his words, he has ideal humidity conditions in the house.
In the architect, the investor found support
Filip Řepka is among the enlightened architects who do not focus solely on the aesthetic processing of projects but can also design them comprehensively from a technical perspective. Therefore, the collaboration did not end with the submission of the project; the architect supported his client throughout the construction process. He actively supervised the progress of the realization, participated in the selection of contracting companies, and promptly ensured technical solutions for important details. The outer shell of the family house in Provodín consists of Ytong blocks of class P2-400, 375mm thick; due to the flue elements, blocks 500mm thick were used in the gables. The exterior walls are uninsulated, but both gables are clad with natural facing made of fine-grained kaolinitic limestone from the Krákorka quarry. The investor would certainly have achieved higher thermal comfort by using the Ytong Lambda uninsulated construction (of the same thickness), but these thermal insulating blocks were not yet on the market during the project phase.
Simple, elegant, and functional. That would be a brief description of the architectural and structural solution of the family house in Provodín. The two-story, non-basement house with utilized attic offers above-standard comfort and relaxed recreation for a family of four thanks to its size of 200 m². It is hard to believe that, according to the architect, the house was one of the few buildings with a pitched roof he designed. The realization received a positive response from the locals, which is quite rare for new constructions in rural areas...
Authors: S.P.A.D. studio | www.spad-architekti.cz
Year of realization: 2008
Usable area: 228 m²
Cost of rough construction: 2 million
Outer masonry: Ytong P2-400
Windows: Wooden euro-windows with insulating double glazing
Roof: Eternit
Floors: Wooden
The house in Provodín is located at the foot of Kraví Hora in the Česká Lípa region. The typically sandstone face of this area has a unique atmosphere and continues to inspire many Czech artists to this day. The project was designed by Ing. arch. Filip Řepka from the Prague studio S.P.A.D., which has behind it several dozen successful realizations, ranging from individual architecture to apartment buildings. In designing the family house in Provodín, architect Řepka was inspired by the stone architecture of northwestern Europe. The simple shapes of the architecture there are timeless in many ways and utilize the material resources offered by the Česká Lípa landscape. It became the architect's ideal starting point for combining a modern yet rural appearance for the house. Thus, the new construction in Provodín did not disrupt the magical solitude of the four farms situated in the midst of the protected landscape area Natura 2000 and visually respects the historical buildings.
Dilemma: renovation of the farm or new construction?
The investor used the land neighboring the family farm where he once stayed with his parents. Undoubtedly, it was also the family roots that guided him in his sensitive approach to seeking an optimal project and in communicating with the architect. It should be noted that due to the protected landscape, the environmental department of the Municipal Office in Česká Lípa actively supervised the project for the family house in Provodín. “I must admit that at first I toyed with the idea of buying a farm that I would renovate. I would avoid the search for a face of the house that would perfectly fit into the local landscape, possible rejection by the authorities... However, the investment in new construction does not differ in price from renovation, and a new house has its advantages. For all, I would mention higher comfort and less demanding maintenance of the house,” explains the investor.
Flexible heating of the house
It is true that traditional Czech buildings are not ideal for recreational purposes from the perspective of thermal comfort. Sometimes up to one-meter-thick exterior walls slowly accumulate heat, and in winter, the interiors do not warm up sufficiently during a short weekend. The investor emphasized comfortable relaxation, adapting the structural solution of the house to this. The building is made of Ytong aerated concrete, which guarantees users a unique microclimate throughout the year. Aerated concrete is an ideal material in terms of thermal comfort not only because it achieves higher thermal insulation than other masonry elements. Ytong also has an optimal thermal inertia. Therefore, it well withstands changes in outside temperatures while allowing a relatively flexible change in temperature upon entering a cooled house after prolonged absence. The family house in Provodín has a central hot-water heating system with an electric boiler. In most spaces, there are panel radiators, while in the main living area (40 m²), there are floor convectors. The fireplace in the living room is connected to the heating system through a heat exchanger.
Comfort even without insulation
The investor has previously worked in construction professionally; therefore, he supervised the building himself. The result was a truly precisely executed shell structure, built by a local firm from Česká Lípa. “The quality of construction was all the more important for us because the owner opted for an uninsulated structure. The thermal technical parameters of the masonry largely depend on adherence to prescribed construction procedures during masonry work. The discipline on the construction site is more complicated with bricks, and the constructed masonry is additionally weakened by subsequent installations, where perforated bricks can start to crumble like gingerbread. With Ytong, the conduits can easily be grooved,” concludes the architect, explaining why they leaned towards Ytong for the structural system selection.
Even with irregular occupancy, the building breathes
During use, the owner appreciated another property of the aerated concrete: the material is breathable. If the exterior wall is not sealed with sealant or adhesive and diffusive open plasters are used, the building breathes. The breathability of the masonry plays a significant role especially in recreational properties, as they are prone to mold formation in the interiors due to irregular rhythms of occupancy or ventilation. The investor dealt with humidity only in the first year of occupancy when the structure was drying out. Today, according to his words, he has ideal humidity conditions in the house.
In the architect, the investor found support
Filip Řepka is among the enlightened architects who do not focus solely on the aesthetic processing of projects but can also design them comprehensively from a technical perspective. Therefore, the collaboration did not end with the submission of the project; the architect supported his client throughout the construction process. He actively supervised the progress of the realization, participated in the selection of contracting companies, and promptly ensured technical solutions for important details. The outer shell of the family house in Provodín consists of Ytong blocks of class P2-400, 375mm thick; due to the flue elements, blocks 500mm thick were used in the gables. The exterior walls are uninsulated, but both gables are clad with natural facing made of fine-grained kaolinitic limestone from the Krákorka quarry. The investor would certainly have achieved higher thermal comfort by using the Ytong Lambda uninsulated construction (of the same thickness), but these thermal insulating blocks were not yet on the market during the project phase.
Simple, elegant, and functional. That would be a brief description of the architectural and structural solution of the family house in Provodín. The two-story, non-basement house with utilized attic offers above-standard comfort and relaxed recreation for a family of four thanks to its size of 200 m². It is hard to believe that, according to the architect, the house was one of the few buildings with a pitched roof he designed. The realization received a positive response from the locals, which is quite rare for new constructions in rural areas...
Authors: S.P.A.D. studio | www.spad-architekti.cz
Year of realization: 2008
Usable area: 228 m²
Cost of rough construction: 2 million
Outer masonry: Ytong P2-400
Windows: Wooden euro-windows with insulating double glazing
Roof: Eternit
Floors: Wooden
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