Amidst the rural buildings, along the road leading into the majestic Šumava forest, stands a cottage from the late 19th century. The restoration project by Studio Plyš is an example of respect for the building’s history. Numerous defects have been repaired and the house has been augmented with contemporary fabric that does not scream, but complements the landscape.
The house is located in the village of Borová Lada in the Czech Republic. Its renovation aimed to emphasise the joy of living in a house that has survived different times. The architects approached the building with attention to all its layers, both material and historical. Rather than covering up traces of the past, they treated it as a resource: places and elements that needed cleaning and restoration became the starting point for creating new spatial and functional relationships.
Transforming the structure and layout
The removal of inadequate repairs from the 1980s and 1990s exposed serious structural damage, but it was these defects that were transformed into the heart of the house. The repaired and transformed living area opens onto the garden and the preserved kitchen area, creating a central, living living organism. The barn, now extended vertically, functions as a usable space with the possibility of hosting autumn gatherings – suspended between inside and outside, between warmth and coolness. The new layout allows for multi-generational use of the house through two living units and shared spaces connected by a central staircase.
Relationship to the environment
The external shape of the building has remained unchanged. The large glazings introduced open up the interior to daylight and the landscape, while the extensive shutters protect against capricious weather and the prying eyes of passers-by. The shutter rails and exposed concrete elements have been left visible as a testament to the past. The new layer does not seek to hide; on the contrary, it integrates with the historic context.
Three massive reinforced concrete pillars have taken over the load-bearing function of the roof. They were cast together with the new barn foundations, which needed to be rebuilt after inadequate repairs of recent decades. The original roof truss was retained, the heavy concrete tiles were replaced with aluminium ones and some rafters were reinforced with exposed steel beams. This created space for new living areas and the possibility of insulating the roof cladding.
New solutions
There is a new section in the attic space, which was designed as a timber structure clad with tiles made from natural and recycled materials and plywood. All sanitary installations have been placed in this section. The insert is separated from the original structure and insulated to prevent moisture penetration. Where possible, sections of the original floorboards on the ground floor and the tiled cooker, which is still a source of heat, have been retained. In parallel, daily heating is provided by an air-to-water heat pump, controlled by a smart home system that also controls the electrics and external automated shutters. The balance between the new layer and the spirit of the house is also maintained by a dedicated set of carpentry furniture called Bedřich. A folding dining table, bed and bench in solid oak designed for the preserved part of the house complete the interior and capture the spirit of the old days.
Studio Plyš has created a renovation that does not put an equal sign between modernity and historicity, but allows them to coexist – with respect for the material, with a sense of scale and with the awareness that the house is first and foremost meant to be a place of joy for simple, festive and everyday togetherness.
design: Studio Plyš
photography: Tomáš Slavík
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