Free Form. House in the Orchard, Prague-Kyje

Jan Šépka / Šépka architekti /

This unusual family house was built on a sloping site oriented to the north on the outskirts of Prague – in Kyje – overlooking the River Rokytka valley. The house reacts to the surrounding full-grown trees with its shape, character, and volume. The ground plan of the house is based on a circle that transforms into two squares on the southern side; the continuous three‑story space gets narrower towards the top of the house and ends with a skylight. The living room on the ground floor with a gallery oriented to the north thus receives sunlight from the south. The ground floor also houses a bedroom, kitchen and bathroom; another bedroom is available on the first floor, the gallery serves as a study room. The house is designed as a wooden structure with a reinforced concrete foundation that is limited to a stem in the steep slope. The wooden structure is acknowledged in the interior; the exterior is insulated with a polyurethane protective spray.