A hexagon-shaped wooden house | A.LT Architekti

October 2, 2013

Today we have a small family house from the Czech Republic. It is located in a village within the Křivoklátsko Protected Landscape Area, where new development is prohibited. However an existing house can be rebuilt provided the new home’s footprint doesn’t exceed the original size. That is what architects A.LT Architekti did, designing a small wooden house to replace a tired old house dating from the 50’s. The only part saved for the new house was the stone garage, above which are two floors of new construction.

The house sits on a forested hillside offering views over the valley and village below. To get the best views and maximum sunlight, the small floor plan was given an irregular hexagon layout, essentially a rectangle with two opposite corners cut off. A nice bonus benefit is that the shape creates interesting angular spaces inside. Several very large windows positioned to take in the views are balanced by a number of small windows scattered about. Because the hillside blocks a lot of mid-day light, the architects positioned the house as far from the slope as possible. That created an overhang on the downhill side, which was put to use for a covered patio.

The house has a floor plan of 94 m² (1,012 ft²), which probably includes the garage. The living area wraps in a C-shape around the perimeter of the main floor. As a result, even though the space is open, sightlines from one end to the other are limited. That can make a space feel larger because you cannot see where it ends. The same strategy was used in this small cabin in Norway.

A black steel staircase spirals up to the top floor where there are two bedrooms and an open study off the hallway. The study area could possibly be enclosed to create a very small third bedroom.

Since the clients wanted a wooden house, the walls were constructed from cross-laminated timber panels. Although the interior sides were not a finish grade of wood, they were left exposed as the finish surface anyway with just an application of oil. The exterior is clad with untreated larch boards installed vertically.

Enjoy the photos!