The new house of Kloboucká lesní is a practical demonstration of how to build efficiently and economically in Central European conditions using local materials.
The design of the building comes from the Mjölk architectural studio. As the architects point out, building ecologically does not have to mean wrapping a house in polystyrene. Green building should start much earlier, in the design and construction phase itself – using local resources, prefabricated technologies, reducing transportation requirements during the implementation work and resulting in a low cost of construction and its carbon footprint. The philosophy and social responsibility carries through the architecture of the house and the outdoor space around the new building, where the economy and utility of the spaces have been emphasised.
The design of the exterior places particular emphasis on comfort, views and experience for those who may spend a working break, an outdoor meeting or perhaps an evening barbecue.
The company in the village in the middle of the White Carpathians is engaged in forestry, logging and high-tech wood processing, producing wooden panels and beams. Innovation and creativity have also made their way into the architectural brief. And so the building and its surroundings represent the potential of contemporary building – a paradoxical combination of the latest technology and the most conservative and traditional material imaginable – wood.
Our task was to connect the interior of the building to the immediate surroundings, to relate to the landscape context and to welcome every visitor with a pleasant environment from the moment they arrive at the site and step out of the car.
The plantings are mainly concentrated to the immediate perimeter of the building. The views of the surroundings are dominated by the factory, with the beautiful scenery of the ridge of the hills forming the context and background.
Water is not just for decoration here. Rainfall is drained from the roof into above-ground tanks that are not hidden underground, but instead are exposed as an elegant line of water features around the perimeter of the footprint of the house.
The tank stores rainwater for reuse on the site, and on hot summer days the evaporation from the water surface naturally cools the building. The water surface also reflects diffused light into deeper parts of the layout, which is especially appreciated by those who work on the ground floor of the building.
The company is actively involved in the care and use of the forest and trees. For new research and innovation in the field, a kind of incubator, an interior green roof, has been created in the attic under the roof gable, where young trees are already growing.
The building in a natural setting by the forest celebrates the company’s principles – creativity, research and sustainability – so perhaps our proposal will also contribute to a better future.