We found ourselves in a very interesting location again. Not far from the place where the Battle of Lipany took place in the 15th century, there is the picturesque Central Bohemian village of Třebovle. A young family with children asked us to design a new house situated in an orchard. The plot is rectangular and flat, with mature trees, but is significantly limited by a high voltage protection zone leading diagonally across. In addition, the adjacent road is about 2 metres higher than the orchard itself. We drew more versions and in the end came with four possible designs. Together with our clients, after many discussions, we chose a proposal that offered the most suitable placement on the plot. It situates the house and car shelter with their longer axis in the north-south direction at the eastern boundary of the plot. This orientation allows the most suitable layout of rooms on the ground floor, providing a view of the west side and the best access to a beautiful garden. In addition, we placed the house as far as possible from the road and behind the fruit trees, which create a pleasant shadow and a noise barrier in the summer. The main feature of the house is the alternation of full and
glazed areas on the ground floor. Our inspiration came from traditional barns which have large sliding doors always opposite each other. In our design, the opposing spaces are glazed. The living quarters on the ground floor have plenty of natural daylight from both sides and unobstructed views of the eastern and western gardens. The alternation of solid walls and glass surfaces is stressed with a shifted floor plan that creates niches serving as storage areas in the interior and allows the roof to overhang above the glazed surfaces on the outside. The heart of the house are the living quarters which are open to the roof above the sitting and dining areas. The main bedroom, children’s rooms and a bathroom are situated in the attic. The house is characterized by a simple mass, a contemporary look and plenty of storage space, complemented by a shelter for two cars and garden tools. The house is covered by modern, small-format roofing in gray and light gray plaster combined with horizontal cladding of Siberian larch in recesses above the glazed surfaces. On the western side, there is a quiet terrace offering views of the sun setting behind the fruit trees.