Detached house | Knínice

The task of this study was to create housing for an elderly couple on a very specific plot of land in a small village adjacent to Brno. The drop-shaped lot is accessible from the narrowest western side and is bordered by a local stream on the northern side. It is then surrounded by existing buildings on the south and east sides, which clearly define the conditions for a family house. In addition, the western narrow access to the plot is complicated by the existing construction of a shed, which is preserved and adapted to the new purpose in our design at the request of the client.

 For us, the material solution to this complicated situation was the procedural layout of the house, copying the natural movement of a person on such a plot of land. He enters the plot next to the shed building, which has been transformed into a garage building with a workshop and a private wellness area with sauna. Around this first and smallest volume with gabled roof, the user gets directly to the entrance of the family house. It connects to the road and in its first volume it cuts through the land in a linear way. In this wing, connected to the entrance hall, there is a closed cloakroom with a utility room and a utilitarian bathroom – a bathroom for guests. There are also two guest rooms, a master bathroom and the home owner’s office in the wing. At an angle that follows the plot, this wing is terminated by a private space, comprising of a large open living room with kitchen and master bedroom. The volumes thus delineate a private atrium into which an entire private wing can open, using mainly the southern sun. Most of the bedrooms are situated on the peaceful north side, which thus have a view of the stream embankment and use a direct connection to the sauna created in the shed building.

 The material and expressive solution is based on the regulations of the municipality, as well as on the existing expression of the surrounding buildings. The gabled roof is made of white corrugated iron, highlighting the archetype of the building. The local stone cladding in a beige shade tactically connects and fills the spaces between the windows so that the internal layout of the house also penetrates the facades. The entire material palette is complemented by aluminium windows in a brass shade, which in a more durable design makes it possible to complement the pleasant humane expression of the object. Everything is complemented by rustic details with solid wood. The sidewalks and the paved surfaces, including the distance paving of the parking lot, are made of granite blocks.