Comfort of the modern countryside

The living room set amid tall greenery, a fragrant green meadow overhead, the ridges of the Jeseníky mountains within reach from the bedroom window, the city's amenities just beyond the threshold... This could describe the unattainable dream of many households or the reality of one tenacious family from northern Moravia.

The family home in Chvalíkovice near Opava is a perfect example that with simple, tasteful expression and the use of quality materials, it is possible to achieve much more comfortable living than with grand gestures and ostentatious architecture. Modern architecture can blend discreetly into the context of a peaceful village while providing a pleasant living space for a modern family. However, it requires perseverance and perhaps a bit of that proverbial luck. The builders of the house in Chvalíkovice were clear from the start that a plot in a satellite area was not right for them and that they did not intend to anchor themselves in the middle of a divided field outside the city. Thus, they set off on a torturous journey through municipal offices in the Opava region. Disappointment followed disappointment, and many would have given up the search long ago, but their patience eventually paid off. In Chvalíkovice, they found their dream plot on a hill above the village, with a beautiful view of the Jeseníky mountain ridges and into the expansive Opava plain. The nearby forest hides a system of three ponds, and it is not rare to see wildlife grazing on the meadows nearby. The hard work bore sweet fruit, and moreover, it is only six kilometers from the city where both parents work and the children go to school.

Choosing an architect was easy for the builders. They were familiar with the work of local architect Tomáš Bindr from Atelier 38 from personal experience. His enthusiasm after the personal tour of the plot only reinforced their choice, and then came the wait for the first concepts.
“Of several options, the most visually modest won - a single-story prism with a green roof that lifted part of the meadow one floor higher,” describes his design the architect. The future inhabitants of the house were aiming for a spatially reasonable yet comfortable living space in direct contact with nature. The size of the plot allowed the house to develop in just one level, without expensive staircases and ceilings. To the south, the house opens up generously with a large glass living room with a fireplace to the landscape, while to the north, the number of windows in the bedrooms decreases to perfectly seal the house off from the north with an impenetrable stone wall protecting it from northern rain and snow.

“We opted for quality materials with long durability and maximum user comfort. Therefore, the load-bearing structure of the house is made of Ytong aerated concrete, supplemented by a wooden skeleton in the facade of the living room. Even with a thickness of 37.5 cm, the walls ensure above-standard thermal comfort in winter without insulation. In summer, combined with the heavy green roof, it prevents overheating of the house. Ytong additionally helps regulate the humidity of the air inside the building, which positively affects the health of its inhabitants. It is also very precise and easy to work with, so the masonry goes quickly and the walls are straight,” explains the choice of building material architect Tomáš Bindr. The windows and doors are made of wood. The exterior and interior tastefully complement raw stone walls from a nearby quarry. The pleasant atmosphere of the house is supported by natural linoleum and numerous elements made of solid wood, which are also used in the bathroom. The furniture arrangement is unforced, and instead of impractical flashy design, the investors chose simple practicality and simplicity. They agree that the most beautiful feature of the interior is the view of the surrounding landscape.

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