Inside and at the same time outside

A family house is not an apartment. In an apartment, we are primarily indoors, and contact with outdoor spaces is limited. In contrast, a family house should function as a connection to the exterior and a person should have the opportunity to use the garden and not be closed inside… and that is the case with the family villa in Petrovice.

White smooth plaster, light and dark stone, glass, and concrete... these are the materials that the architects from the Labor 13 studio worked with during the design of the family house in the residential area of Prague's Petrovice. The white, minimalist, and orthogonal composition contrasts with the garden house with a dark stone cladding adjacent to the pool, standing out among the surrounding buildings. The combination of the white mass with numerous glazed areas allows us to transition directly from living spaces to the garden. It's as if we are still in the house... even in the case of the second floor! "The investors had a small plot, so we tried to open up the garden as much as possible and connect the house to it. The shape of the house is based on the desire to visually shift the house to the right, resulting in a mass that runs along the entire edge of the plot, which compresses the house with minimal distance from the boundary to the right neighbor," explains architect Martin Vomastek from Labor 13 studio.

Two gardens

The main garden is divided into several functional units. "For example, between the house and the pool, there's only lawn where the owners can lay out a blanket and relax. The section of the garden adjacent to the street creates a natural visual barrier, providing the owners with sufficient privacy. Privacy is also provided by tall pine trees planted along the wall in the western part of the garden, under which there is a vegetable garden," describes architect Martin Vomastek from Labor 13 studio. Due to the relatively small overall plot, the architects decided to create not only the main garden but also a secondary garden – a terrace located on the roof of the house! This terrace serves as a relaxation space for the residents of the second floor of the villa – the investors' children. The garden on the second floor was designed by garden architects from Flera studio, whose work is well known both nationally and internationally.

Part of the lower garden is the house by the pool, which serves as a garden house for sitting with visitors. "Overall, we use this concept in other realizations, where we have the main house and then a garden house for relaxation or guests. Thanks to this house, we perceive the house from a different perspective," points out architect Martin Vomastek, and continues: "We are not strong advocates of pergolas attached to the house's construction. In our realizations, we think directly about creating spaces that can function year-round." An integral part of the garden house is a private infrared sauna, bathroom, and kitchen.

More glass = more light!

Windows wherever we look, and the glazed areas on the ground floor visually enlarge the overall interior spaces and provide plenty of light to the entire household. "In most houses we design, we combine glass surfaces with solid surfaces. We don't create classic grids of smaller windows, but rather we try to group the windows to illuminate the main living rooms as much as possible, which are maximally connected to the garden. In this case, it includes the lower living room, bedroom, and guest room, and then the upper living room, which is connected to the roof garden with windows," clarifies architect Martin Vomastek, continuing: "Smaller windows, in a way, respond to the interiors, such as views from hallways into the garden, or smaller windows in bathrooms and bedrooms, which were focused on privacy."

Although it may seem that the house lacks stability due to the amount of glazed areas, the opposite is true. "In the glazed areas, there are integrated, nearly imperceptible steel columns that support the concrete ceiling," corrects architect Martin Vomastek from Labor 13 studio. Interestingly, manufacturing such large glazed walls can pose many challenges. "It was necessary to agree with the supplier on the production of these glazed areas so that they matched our intent. We wanted floor-to-ceiling windows, without visible profiles, which was not entirely easy from a manufacturing perspective. Fortunately, it worked out as we envisioned," adds architect Martin Vomastek.

Sufficient space for the investors was also considered in terms of the arrangement of individual rooms. The lower floor offers several options. Guests can stay in a room custom-made for them, while the owners have their own bedroom with a dressing room and bathroom. They can spend time together either indoors in the living room or in the outdoor seating right behind the glazed area, but still under the roof of the house. The modern and absolutely minimalist kitchen with a dining area is part of the living space.

The second floor of the villa with the terrace is dedicated exclusively to the teenage children, each having their own bedroom with a dressing room and bathroom. They can share moments in the upper modernly furnished living room or on the roof garden (terrace), which is somewhat of an extension of the living room. "The investors wanted to provide their children with privacy, so a separate unit was created on the second floor, accessible via a staircase from the entrance hall, so the children do not have to pass through the lower shared spaces of the house," explains Martin Vomastek from Labor 13 studio.

Maximum minimalism

The overall atmosphere of both floors is created by the ever-present clean lines without extra details and accessories, built-in wardrobes, spaciousness, and lightness of the space. The white walls slightly contrast with the gray handles and details made of light oak. The handles used by the architects are from M&T, specifically the MINIMAL collection. "MINIMAL handles are pleasant in that they are simply minimal. The main advantage of the handle lies in its uniqueness, aesthetic distinctiveness, and difference from others. We always try to ensure that one type of hardware is used wherever possible, meaning on doors, windows, and HS portals, which MINIMAL allows due to the coherence of this series," explains architect Martin Vomastek from Labor 13 studio. "MINIMAL handles fully meet the requirements of a minimalist interior. Their uniqueness lies primarily in the synergy and variability they offer. It is a cohesive collection where one can find products for all types of windows and doors in the same design and many color and material variations," describes Roman Ulich, the chief designer at M&T, the only Czech manufacturer of designer door and window hardware.

Although it may not seem apparent, small details played a key role in this building, as they had to fit together. "The journey was challenging, but thanks to excellent cooperation and communication with the investors, we managed to construct the villa to its current form. We tried to maximize the fulfillment of the investors' requirements, and they were, in turn, open to our ideas, leading to a pleasant collaboration that culminated in a successful realization," concludes architect Martin Vomastek.

Technical data:

Process of realization: project 2014, realization 2015-16
Usable area: 346 m² + terrace 204 m²
Built-up area: 269 m² Floor coverings: 1st floor travertine, 2nd floor glued wood
Door handles: M&T, MINIMAL fittings, www.kliky-mt.cz 
Architect: Ing. arch. Martin Vomastek, Labor 13 studio, www.labor13.cz 
Labor 13 is a studio founded in 2007 by architects Martin Vomastek, Albert Pražák, and construction engineer Jiří Bardoděj. It offers complete project services from building design and its interior to detailed design and collaboration during realization.
The spectrum of activities includes projects for civic and residential buildings, interior design, exhibition displays, and urbanism of smaller units. Besides new constructions, they also have experience in designing renovations and adjustments of historical and monument-protected buildings. In their designs, they strive to understand and address the investor's brief, as well as to capture the context of the building and its meaning in the area.