kaa-studio completes its 'new house in the old garden' in the czech republic

kaa-studio realizes its ‘new house in the old garden’ as a dwelling for a family of four outside prague. the clients, who’s work life is based in an artificial and open-space office, had a fundamental desire for natural materials and intimacy. the children’s spaces are separated from the main areas of the house, looking ahead toward the future when the children grow up. the design team focuses on the operational and performative aspect of the house, incorporating shading elements which protect the interiors from extensive sunlight during the day while reducing light pollution generated by the house at night.

images by boysplaynice

‘new house in the old garden’ by kaa-studio is sited near prague, overlooking the berounka river with a sweeping view toward the brdy hills. the site was occupied by an existing hut and mature trees in the garden — fruit-bearing trees in the lower part and conifers and walnut trees in the upper part of the garden. in developing the design concept, the team aimed to optimize the built space on the plot and to concentrate most of the functions of the house, for easy access, along the ground floor, and consolidate the smaller children’s apartment upstairs.

the main mass of kaa-studio’s ‘new house in the old garden’ is stretched along the east-west axis to create the longest possible southern facade. this condition serves to warm the house by the sun during the day, while the interior is naturally shaded by the recessed glazed façade. the clients comment: ‘we wanted the house to fit gently between the surrounding houses of the original built-up area and the trees of the old garden, to be able to take advantage of the views and natural resources, and the house to function well naturally in terms of heat and economics, without current artificial ‘passive standards.’