Päivä Architekti perches larch-clad extension alongside hilltop home in Czech Republic

Local practice Päivä Architekti has expanded a rural home in the Czech Republic, perching a tanned larch-clad annex on the edge of its sloping forest site.

Named Medník House after its location in the village of Luka pod Medníkem, the 87-square-metre extension adds a standalone studio space and guest room to an existing family home.

Päivä Architekti perched the extension on the edge of the site atop concrete micropiles that overlook the surrounding valley as restrictions prevented building within 50 metres of the forest boundary and required avoiding existing trees.

Connecting the extension to the existing home is a stepped, covered wooden terrace, which features a cut-out and section of open roof to accommodate an existing tree.

"The building is open towards the valley and the opposite slope, where you can see the Medník mountain and the Sázava river," Päivä Architekti founder Milos Munzar told Dezeen.

"On the other hand, towards the existing house, the house is closed so that both parts of the whole have enough privacy," he continued.

"Between the old and new building there is a place for the two parts to meet, a wooden terrace around a tree. This terrace also connects the old and new house in height."

The more enclosed facade facing the existing home is lined by a covered verandah, supported by thin columns of tanned larch that match the extension's external plank cladding, chosen to blend in with the woodland as it weathers.

A glazed clerestory beneath a monopitched metal roof pulls light into the extension's double-height studio space, which features a timber-lined interior overlooked by a black steel mezzanine.

To the northwest, large windows overlooking the valley are sheltered by slatted timber shutters, which can be slid from side to side on steel tracks to control sun-shading.

Concealed within the timber walls of the studio space are storage areas, a small kitchenette and a door through to the en-suite guest suite. Opposite, a sliding glass door leads out onto the terrace, which also contains a small sauna.

"In the interior, we chose a wooden bioboard, which is warm and creates a pleasant atmosphere.," said Munzar. "The walls and built-in furniture are therefore made of the same material and form a single whole."

"The construction material was influenced by the difficult access to the land and the possibilities of the builder, so it was necessary to choose materials that are light and easy to transport – typically wooden beams," he continued.

"We chose the facade material so that the house would be as unobtrusive as possible and would fit well into the natural environment."

Elsewhere in the Czech Republic, Atelier Hajný recently transformed a derelict 1970s stone hut into a metal-clad rural home, which also featured fully timber-lined interiors.

The photography is by Radek Ulehla. 

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