The Site Had Great Views, But Bad Sunlight. The Solution? A Hovering Home That Juts Out

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Project Details:

Location: Černošice, Czech Republic

Architect: Stempel & Tesař Architekti / @stempel_tesar

Footprint: 3,465 square feet

Structural Engineer: Valbek

Landscape Designer: Vladimír Sitta

Photographer: Filip Šlapal / @slapalfilip

From the Architect: "Černošice’s villa district is a collection of unique family homes at the foot of Babka Hill. The area has a strong character that is not defined by any one architectural style as much as by the buildings’ grandeur and scale. Located on steep plots of land, the houses stand out above a path carved into the hillside and lined by the gardens’ retaining walls. Villa Sidonius was not going to be any different.

"The villa’s steep property is located on the shaded side of the terrain and is one of the steepest and highest in the neighborhood. The site’s greatest asset is the beautiful view of the Berounka Valley, the hills of the Bohemian Karst, and the Prague skyline in the background. For this reason, the architects brought this view into all the living spaces. The northern slope suffers from a lack of sun, which for most of the day only shines on the highest part of the property—an area that is difficult to reach along the steep slope. The architects were thus faced with the question of how to build the house as high as possible on the property while still providing ease of access.

"Their plan was founded on the concept of hanging houses. The winning form was a bridge-like structure on pillars. The building thus resembles a steel footbridge placed on a steep slope, where it has been turned to face the best northern views and southern sun. The building is an experiment, with the goal being to find solutions that would push the envelope and test the latest technological products and equipment on the market, such as Swiss air-lux windows with patented air-assisted seals and a heating and cooling system with heat pumps to ensure a comfortable indoor climate all year round in a house with low heat storage capacity.

"The building is entered via an underground tunnel from the garage, where one will also find a studio and a fitness area. The tunnel leads to the foot of one of the pillars, where an elevator takes residents to the residential level. The heart of the home is a living room with a kitchen and dining area. From here, one can access the south-facing terrace, which connects the house with the vegetated terrain and the sunny upper part of the garden with a swimming pool. The protruding parts of the ‘bridge’ contain two different worlds: the world of children’s rooms on one end and the primary bedroom with bath and views on the other."