ORA plans rural house in the czech countryside with gable roof and bay window

tasked with designing a country house in božice, a village in the south moravian region of the czech republic, architecture and design studio ORA decided to highlight the project’s connection to the historical and settlement context. situated on a narrow and sloped plot, the elongated, single-story residence incorporates features of traditional rural homes, such as a border as close to the street as regulations permit, a private courtyard, a porch, and a gable roof, all of which have been updated through a contemporary language.all images by boysplaynice

instead of turning the residence away from the street, ORA decided to highlight its existence by creating a direct connection between it and the interior through a prominent bay window. ‘we think that czech and moravian villages experience one of the largest urban planning crises in history,’ notes the studio. ‘our aim was to show that a country house should not act as an urban villa placed carelessly in the middle of the estate, a phenomenon common for most of today’s projects. rather than isolating the estate from its surroundings, it needs to open up and find its way back to the street.’ in order to ensure enough privacy for the inhabitants, the architects have created an enclosed courtyard behind a wall and a perforated wooden surface on the house’s façade.

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the scale of the house corresponds to that of local traditional homes, which also serve as a reference for its gable roof and wooden porch. one of the structure’s main features is a bay window that gently breaks through the façade, forming a relationship between the house and the street.

project info:

architect: ORA

main use: village family house

location: božice, south moravia, czech republic