Project Info
Project Name: Medník House
Architects: päivity architekti
Location: Luka pod Medníkem, Jílové u Prahy, Czech Republic
A new timber extension is placed lightly on the sloping terrain
A Carefully Placed Extension Among Trees and Terrain
In the small village of Luka pod Medníkem near Jílové u Prahy, the recently completed Medník House by päivity architekti responds to its dramatic site with elegance and restraint. The original house, built at the beginning of the 20th century on the edge of a rock formation above the Sázava valley, already carried weight in its steep setting. By 2010 it had been renovated, yet the clients now required a new open studio space and a separate living zone with clarity of daylight.
A covered terrace links the new and original structures, wrapping a mature oak
Rather than expanding the old house directly, the architects chose to design a standalone extension at the boundary between garden and forest. A covered terrace links the new structure to the original dwelling, wrapping around a mature oak tree that remains an anchor in the composition. The design respects the wedge-shaped plot, the steep terrain, and the sweeping views toward the Medník peak and valley below.
The timber-framed structure lightly navigates the steep, rocky slope
Transparent Studio and Private Retreat
The new volume places the studio on the garden-facing side with large sliding glass walls that open toward the valley and sky. A suspended gallery hovers above the workspace, providing a quiet vantage while preserving volume and openness. Facing the original house is a more closed corner that balances transparency with privacy. The connection to the garden is softened by a covered walkway, creating an interplay of indoor and outdoor space that invites movement and reflection.
The mature oak tree is preserved as a central anchor for the new terrace
Construction was realised partly by client participation. Micropile foundations enabled minimal disruption of the slope and protected existing trees. A steel frame and timber superstructure were completed under a self-build regime. The chosen materials reinforce the sensory quality of the place: charred larch for the external cladding weathers gradually, while spruce bioboard inside houses integrated furniture and storage, giving the interiors warmth and precision.
An outdoor sauna is integrated directly into the deck, blurring indoor-outdoor living
Material Clarity, Spatial Lightness
Material selection is rooted in honesty and context. The external charred larch echoes the surrounding tree trunks and forest tones. Inside, the spruce bioboard surfaces lend a calm clarity that supports the studio’s creative purpose. The volumes frame daylight and views rather than divert attention from them. Large openings invite the valley into the living spaces, while internal volumes remain composed and intimate.
The studio interior is defined by warm spruce, a high ceiling, and large openings
Venturing beyond material, the design captures the spirit of craft. The client’s involvement in parts of the build reflects a deeper connection to process and place. The suspended gallery and steel-timber interplay introduce subtle complexity without drawing attention away from the architecture’s quiet logic and its relationship with nature.
Warm spruce bioboard creates a calm and precise bedroom interior
Modesty in Narrative, Ambition in Detail
Medník House does not seek to dominate its site. It moves lightly over the terrain, respecting trees and slope, aligning itself with view and daylight rather than asserting a foreign footprint. This modesty reveals an ambition of another kind — to create architecture that listens, adapts and participates in its setting.
Material clarity continues, mixing the warmth of timber with concrete surfaces
The work is part of a broader conversation in Czech residential architecture where craft, landscape and material intelligence converge. Here, an extension to a family house becomes a study in how architecture might reconcile old and new, private and public, craft and clarity. The result is a building that feels both grounded and elevated, personal and open, retreat and studio all in one.
A suspended gallery net hovers above the workspace, maintaining the studio's openness
PHOTO CREDIT: Radek Úlehla
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