Sustainable Cabin With Future Energy Self-sufficiency

The home is only a few meters from the forest's border, where it grows up to the tops of spruces. Nestled amid the trees, nearly unseen in comparison to the other white plaster buildings next door, it appears to have been eaten up by woods... The design is based on the local environment and color palette, which includes all shades of gray.

With their latest project, Weekend House Nové Hamry, NEW HOW Architects has given that a modern spin! The Czech company was commissioned to build a vacation home in the Ore Mountains, and whatever it turned out to be, it had to stand out from the surrounding white-plaster dwellings. This cabin, which lives up to its name, is a half-A-frame, contemporary, dark construction influenced by nature.

Gray may be seen in the tints of trees, granite and basalt rocks, and even the dark green needles and trunks of the native spruces, which are so characteristic of the Ore Mountains' woods. It was obvious from the start that the front and roof of the vacation house should be coated with aluminum in a similar dark tone. The façade structure was employed to produce a rough surface that simulates oiled black wood and slow-growing spruce trunks.

This house's color and surface aren't the only things that stand out about it. Formally, the new building is represented by an aerodynamic but angular figure in which conventional features such as the roof and the wall give way to a distinct shape and combine with one another. The look was formed through various precisely designed interior spatial situations and on the basis of periodically changing local climatic variables, such as the snow load in winter, which necessitated the selection of a steep roof slope.

The height of the home from the interior is also determined by the concept of a "lookout tower." It should look more like a tower than a house and function as a hideout. Instead of the normal two levels of action, three levels of action were established, each with its own personality. At its most opulent, the mansion functions as a studio, library, and retreat. It is possible to let thoughts flow at this stage...

A 2.5-meter-long square window frames the view of the trees, sky, and terrain. One floor down, in addition to the restroom and open gallery area, there are sleeping quarters. The floor is partially made by a net that connects to the lowest level aesthetically and acoustically and serves as a rest space.

It's a place where you may let your imagination run wild. Sitting in a net with no solid ground underneath has something to do with the desire to fly, as does gazing up at the sky. The primary social space of the house, with a kitchen and a central fireplace - a site of meeting and vibrant discussion - dominates the lower level of the house. The technological foundation is housed in a slightly submerged basement. In the near future, the house will be occupied all year.

As a result, the house already has enough sleeping space for at least 10 people. Furthermore, the house's energy idea should be developed in the future. Currently, it is heated by an open fireplace and electricity. Furthermore, the home is already outfitted with connection points for the rooftop solar system and vertical wind turbines, which aid in realizing the concept of energy self-sufficiency.

Photographs by Petr Polák.