House of sun-bleached wood in Černý Důl
For a family with children, we designed a cozy and practical house in Černý Dům in the Krkonoš Mountains. Inside, it is made of concrete, and outside it is clad in boards of charred spruce wood. In front of it stood a traditional mountain dwelling, which could no longer meet the demands of modern living. Our design was inspired by the original gable roof and the orientation of the building to the slope and surrounding houses. We took into account not only the wishes of the investors and the specifics of the steep plot, but also the occasional vibrations caused by mining in a nearby limestone quarry.
Charred spruce wood gives the building an unusual appearance and protects it from moisture, pests, and mold. Charring is a deliberate surface treatment of the material that can age: the color changes from the initial warm tone to a cool gray, allowing the wood to blend with the landscape. It is an old technique for wood processing that is almost maintenance-free.
The town of Černý Důl lies at the foot of the Krkonoš ridge. The local development follows the slopes and the edge of the forest, as it has been done in mountainous environments for many generations. People naturally sought places sheltered by the forest and with plenty of sunlight. The sun warms the houses, dries them, and ensures plenty of light, while the forest protects them from wind and drifts. This plot perfectly meets these criteria: to the west, it borders on mixed forest, while the southern and eastern sides provide views of the opposite ridges and the rooftops of neighboring houses. The plot is steep, and access to it is from the access road at the lower part.
The terrain modifications were intentionally minimal; the house follows the original slope of the plot. It was precisely the slope that led us to sink the garage and service areas into the hillside as a basement. This allowed us to free up the entire above-ground portion for living space. The entrance is directly from the access road; the sectional doors in an anthracite shade are the only pronounced horizontal element in an otherwise vertical pattern of the wooden shell.
The mass composition of the house is subordinate to the shape of the gable roof made of metal covering with four roof windows. The house does not aim to imitate traditional mountain buildings but is merely inspired by them: a compact block with a clean silhouette, devoid of ornaments. The entire façade—gables, vertical surfaces, and the garage strip—is clad in vertical boards of charred spruce. The windows are fitted with aluminum frames with triple glazing, clearly read within the vertical grid of the façade; the roof is made of dark metal roofing.
The outer walls of the above-ground part are constructed from ceramic blocks with a thickness of 300 mm, featuring a ventilated façade made of mineral wool. The basement is made from lost formwork blocks. The source of heat is an air-water heat pump with underfloor heating in all floors.
Occasional ground vibrations from mechanical mining in the nearby quarry are mitigated by anti-vibration pads in the foundation strips and footings.
The movement through the house follows the natural height difference of the slope. The entrance is from the basement, directly from the access road: an entryway with a shoe cabinet, a hallway, a garage, storage areas, a study, and facilities. This level accommodates equipment for mountain stays—skis, bikes, a space for drying wet items—and allows passage into the clean part of the house. An internal staircase leads up to the ground floor, where the entire day zone is concentrated: a kitchen with a dining area that seamlessly transitions into a living room with a large-format sliding window and access to a terrace above the garage, oriented to the southeast with views of the opposite ridges. On the same floor, separated from the day area, is the parents' quiet zone with a bedroom, a dressing room, and a bathroom. The upper floor with bedrooms, bathrooms, and a kitchenette is reserved for the children.
Charred spruce wood gives the building an unusual appearance and protects it from moisture, pests, and mold. Charring is a deliberate surface treatment of the material that can age: the color changes from the initial warm tone to a cool gray, allowing the wood to blend with the landscape. It is an old technique for wood processing that is almost maintenance-free.
The town of Černý Důl lies at the foot of the Krkonoš ridge. The local development follows the slopes and the edge of the forest, as it has been done in mountainous environments for many generations. People naturally sought places sheltered by the forest and with plenty of sunlight. The sun warms the houses, dries them, and ensures plenty of light, while the forest protects them from wind and drifts. This plot perfectly meets these criteria: to the west, it borders on mixed forest, while the southern and eastern sides provide views of the opposite ridges and the rooftops of neighboring houses. The plot is steep, and access to it is from the access road at the lower part.
The terrain modifications were intentionally minimal; the house follows the original slope of the plot. It was precisely the slope that led us to sink the garage and service areas into the hillside as a basement. This allowed us to free up the entire above-ground portion for living space. The entrance is directly from the access road; the sectional doors in an anthracite shade are the only pronounced horizontal element in an otherwise vertical pattern of the wooden shell.
The mass composition of the house is subordinate to the shape of the gable roof made of metal covering with four roof windows. The house does not aim to imitate traditional mountain buildings but is merely inspired by them: a compact block with a clean silhouette, devoid of ornaments. The entire façade—gables, vertical surfaces, and the garage strip—is clad in vertical boards of charred spruce. The windows are fitted with aluminum frames with triple glazing, clearly read within the vertical grid of the façade; the roof is made of dark metal roofing.
The outer walls of the above-ground part are constructed from ceramic blocks with a thickness of 300 mm, featuring a ventilated façade made of mineral wool. The basement is made from lost formwork blocks. The source of heat is an air-water heat pump with underfloor heating in all floors.
Occasional ground vibrations from mechanical mining in the nearby quarry are mitigated by anti-vibration pads in the foundation strips and footings.
The movement through the house follows the natural height difference of the slope. The entrance is from the basement, directly from the access road: an entryway with a shoe cabinet, a hallway, a garage, storage areas, a study, and facilities. This level accommodates equipment for mountain stays—skis, bikes, a space for drying wet items—and allows passage into the clean part of the house. An internal staircase leads up to the ground floor, where the entire day zone is concentrated: a kitchen with a dining area that seamlessly transitions into a living room with a large-format sliding window and access to a terrace above the garage, oriented to the southeast with views of the opposite ridges. On the same floor, separated from the day area, is the parents' quiet zone with a bedroom, a dressing room, and a bathroom. The upper floor with bedrooms, bathrooms, and a kitchenette is reserved for the children.
Stempel Tesař architects
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