The concrete house was built on a small, long undeveloped plot of land at the foot of a hill, in the Troja district of Prague. Surrounded by buildings from different eras, from classical villas to contemporary single-family houses, it fills a gap in the empty plot next to the tramway tracks. It was the proximity to the busy tram line that shaped the layout of the building and the way it relates to the garden, giving the project its unique character. How did architects Ján Stempel and Jan Jakub Tesař deal with the constraints? Take a look!
At first glance, the interior programme adheres to classic guidelines in terms of the number and size of rooms. However, the client made an unambiguous requirement: raw concrete was to be the predominant material both on the exterior and in the interior. This premise opened the way for the architects to experiment with the mass, texture and colour of the concrete, resulting in an architecture that is not so much sculptural as functional and well thought-out.
The direct vicinity of the tram tracks precluded the representative daytime spaces from turning towards this side of the plot. The solution was elongated curtain walls, which not only muffle the noise, but also create a secluded enclave. They made both the interior and the relaxation area in the garden into a comfortable place for relaxation that gives a sense of privacy.
Two-coloured expression
The clear division between the floors is marked by the different tones and textures of the concrete. The ground floor is made of dark, tinted concrete with a plank-like texture that almost melts into the terrain and penetrates into the retaining wall of the hill. A lighter, almost white adorns the upper body of the house, wrapping it in a smooth texture. To meet modern thermal insulation standards with exposed concrete walls, a layered construction was used. The first stage of concreting was the load-bearing core of the walls, followed by the installation of the insulation, and finally a thin, decorative coating appeared. The process also included recessed joints in the concrete mass for the installation of window frames, further emphasising the minimalism of the design.
The concrete mass of the walls perfectly stabilises the temperature in the interiors, supported by shaded glazing sheltered by the projecting structural elements. This avoids excessive heat in the summer and maintains warmth in the winter. An underfloor heating system powered by a heat pump completes the ecological balance of the house.
Interior and bespoke furniture
The usable area of the building is 205 square metres. The space is divided by light walls with birch veneer furniture, which defines the zones without completely enclosing them. The light veneer softens the industrial character of the concrete, while subtle imperfections in both materials highlight the naturalness and uniqueness of each piece of finish.
The project in Troy demonstrates how raw concrete can be transformed into a welcoming living space, combining sculptural aesthetics with the needs of everyday life.
design: Stempel & Tesar architekti
photos: Filip Šlapal, www.filipslapal.cz
Read also: Single-family house | Villas and residences | Prague | Czech Republic | Modernism | whiteMAD on Instagram
