Medník House is a compact, free-standing extension on a steep, wedge-shaped plot above the Sázava valley in Luka pod Medníkem. Positioned at the threshold between forest and garden, the volume adds a daylighted studio and a discrete sleeping suite to an early 20th-century house, linked by a covered terrace that carefully accommodates a mature oak and frames views toward the valley and the peak of Medník.
Medník House Technical Information
- Architects: päivä architekti
- Location: Luka pod Medníkem, Jílové u Prahy, Czech Republic
- Gross Area: 87 m2 | 936 Sq. Ft.
- Project Years: 2020 – 2024
- Photographs: © Radek Úlehla
We designed the extension as a free-standing object on the border of the forest and the garden, which is connected to the existing house by a covered terrace, into which we incorporated a full-grown oak tree standing in the immediate vicinity of the building. The building is open to the terrace and the valley with sliding windows, and a closed corner is set against the existing building.
– Miloš Munzar
Siting and Landscape Negotiation
The extension occupies a calibrated position where the garden gives way to the forest, holding the line of mature trees while preserving long views across the Sázava valley to Medník. The wedge geometry of the plot and the rocky substratum preclude extensive groundworks, so the new volume sits lightly, reading as a companion to the existing house rather than a graft. Its placement protects view corridors from both the old house and the terrace, treating outlook as a primary driver of massing and aperture.
A covered terrace mediates the junction between the two buildings and absorbs an existing oak as a structural and spatial anchor. This move avoids removing the tree and creates a shaded, seasonally active threshold that modulates solar exposure and glare before one enters the studio. Orientation is handled with a clear gradient of openness: large sliding glazing addresses the terrace and valley, while the more opaque corner faces the original house to temper privacy, reduce reciprocal overlooking, and provide stable wall surfaces for work and storage.
Program and Spatial Strategy
The brief consolidates an open, light-oriented studio as the principal room, complemented by a compact sleeping zone with bathroom and toilet for extended stays. The studio is designed to accommodate changes to furniture and equipment layouts without compromising circulation to the terrace or the garden. Daylight is prioritized through lateral openings toward the valley, which deliver uniform ambient light across the working surfaces while enabling cross-ventilation during warmer months.
A suspended gallery sits within the studio as a secondary layer, adding storage and auxiliary work capacity without fragmenting the ground level. By keeping the gallery lightweight and visually porous, the main volume remains legible and its height is preserved, which helps maintain even daylight distribution. Circulation between the historic house and the annex is purposefully externalized: the covered terrace and walkway serve as environmental buffers, social thresholds, and moments of decompression, expanding the dwelling’s daily rhythms between inside and outside.
Form, Envelope, and Material Expression
The new volume adopts a compact pitched form that echoes the roof geometry of the early 20th-century house while remaining legible as an autonomous object. This balance of kinship and independence clarifies old and new without resorting to mimicry. The roof’s simple profile limits visual mass from the garden and aligns drainage, shading, and snow-shedding with local climatic demands.
The exterior is finished in tanned larch, used both as cladding and as visible structural elements. The choice anticipates weathering and allows the envelope to settle chromatically into the forest edge, while the decking extends this material continuity to the ground plane. Inside, brushed spruce bioboard lines walls and integrates storage and furniture to control visual noise and reduce the need for add-on casework. Large sliding openings act as adjustable diaphragms between the studio and the landscape, and a titanium-zinc sheet roof, paired with cement screed floors, provides durable, low-detail surfaces that withstand wear and simplify maintenance over time.
Structure and Construction Approach
Micropile foundations engage the rocky slope with minimal excavation, reducing disturbance to tree roots and existing terracing. A steel primary frame carries the principal spans and interfaces precisely with the micropiles, while an upper timber structure completes the shell. This hybrid system was calibrated to enable partial self-build by the client, reserving specialized work for foundation and critical steel elements and allowing subsequent timber assembly and interior fit-out to proceed with greater flexibility.
The suspended gallery employs a lightweight steel system to minimize added loads and keep the studio’s main volume visually clear. The tectonic hierarchy remains legible throughout: steel concentrates where spans, connections, and tolerances are demanding, and larch carries the visible supports and cladding where touch, weathering, and long-term maintenance are paramount. This clarity between structural logic and material expression supports straightforward inspection and repair, aligning construction technique with the project’s measured attitude toward site, program, and time.
About päivä architekti
päivä architekti is an architectural studio based in Prague, Czech Republic, established in 2020. The firm combines architectural, urban planning, and design services, emphasizing natural materials, straightforward aesthetics, and close collaboration with clients, craftsmen, and technical specialists. Their work hinges on creating emotionally resonant spaces through simple, contextually aware solutions.
Credits and Additional Notes
- Structural engineers: Miroslav Krössl
- Geological survey: Václav Kořán
- Special foundations: Michal Budina
- Electrical: Jan Lenárt
- Fire safety: Jindřiška Hüttnerová
- Heating: Jan Krpata & Jakub Zapior
- Steel and carpentry structures: Bohumil Turek
- Roofs and plumbing: CZECH izol
- Locksmith: STEP-EX
- Carpentry: Chladil interiéry
- Stainless steel: Václav Budka
- Glazing: Profiklo
- Windows and shading: WoodAl
- Fireplace stoves: Moderní-krb
- Lighting supplier: Delta Light Czech
