| project: | 2022 |
| design: | Ondra, Oskar |
| location: | Hořice |
DIY Spirit
We simply love the distinctive atmosphere of Czech cottages. Escaping the limited comfort of city apartments for the liberating discomfort of a cabin and the surrounding countryside feels close to us. So when a cottage project lands on our desk, we usually try not to invent anything that “isn’t already there”. Intimate corners and distant views, shelter from the weather and an openness towards the orchard — everything was already present on the site.
The slender silhouette of the cottage rises from the ground on massive stone corners, its steep roof climbing towards the sky. Around it, the terrain flows gently downhill between the trees towards the southeast, while a wooden “skirt” wraps around the belly of the house.
The intention to renovate the cottage for short-term stays by families or small groups of friends, together with the poor condition of the unusable roof structure, eventually led us to more radical interventions, replacing all of the timber construction. Yet the character of the house remains. Our only real architectural addition is a “winter garden” — those few generous extra square metres that accommodate the staircase to the attic, a wardrobe and a sauna.
Inside, the organisation of the spaces changes. At the heart of the house is a large světnice — a traditional central living room — on the main floor, connected to a terrace that can be reached directly from the entrance gate. The lower, partially sunken level provides privacy and supporting facilities, while the upper floor becomes a cosy world for sleeping and playing, overlooking the valley.
Roughcast render remains on the façade, dark-painted timber in the gables — as if nothing had changed. Except perhaps for the particular shade of green borrowed from a Škoda car, now covering the metalwork and the slender steel columns of the reconstructed pergola…
Within a minimal footprint, a surprisingly rich world of relationships emerges — with the garden, the landscape, the group, and oneself. Just as a proper Czech cottage should be — perhaps only with a little more comfort.