idhea

The two-generational house can be found in Nebušice near Prague, on the corner of the streets Nebušická and v Pachmance. The plot isn’t very big, c. 1000 m2, and is defined by a busy Nebušická street on its’ northern side and a new building of a pension on its’ eastern boarder. The investors’ demand was an economic house enabling co-existence of two families but offering a high degree of privacy in case of need. The design was inspired by traditional village development. The specific shape of the house divides the plot in two parts. Each part is defined by a private south-oriented atrium and a Japanese-style garden. Both gardens are shielded from an adjoining street and offer undisturbed privacy for the families. Due to the architectonic disposition of the house neither atrium is visible from the other part of the double house. Even though on a small plot, the house offers several levels of interaction of the two families, depending only on the momentary mood.

The house is composed of two diverted two-story sections with aisle roof divided from each other by a single-story garage. On the ground floor, connected to the atrium, oriented mainly south and east, we find the main living quarters; the utility rooms and a garage on the northern side of the house create a buffer zone. The first floor holds rooms for children with adjoining facilities and the master bedroom with an independent bathroom and a dressing room. The basement harbors utility rooms and, under the garage, second living quarters, enabling independent party organization. These living quarters include a kitchenette and beer pipes.

The material design underlines the substance configuration of the house. The garage paneling made of natural tropical wood stands in contrast with the sand color of the plaster; the titanium-zinc roofing is implemented with extensive greenery on top of the flat garage roof. An ash industrial mosaic and door paneling dominate the interior; the staircase is light duty steel with wooden steps. Paving of the ground floor is big-format in natural beige color. The hygienic facilities are dominated by light-gray facing implemented by colored accents; different in each bathroom – orange in the basement, neutral gray on the ground floor, hot red in the master bathroom, soothing dark blue in the children’s bedroom. A decorative apple tree implements the patio made of tropical wood, creating a compositional accent of the outside space and a cosy atmosphere for sitting outside.

project:	2004-2005
construction:	2005-2007
author:	Dalibor Hlaváček
cooperation:	Jan Cyrany, Radek Pikhart, Štěpánka Šmídová
photography:	Dalibor Hlaváček, Filip Šlapal
visualizations:	Jan Cyrany