Set on a small hill in the village of Kyje, Prague, House in the Orchard might be easily missed. The Jan Šépka design is hidden behind a neighborhood of traditionally white-clad Czech homes capped with red roofs. The house, surrounded by trees overlooking a valley and the river Rokytka, is situated to be an oasis — an escape from the normal. Against the backdrop of yellow fall leaves, the 80-square-meter [860-square-foot] modernist treehouse stands out unabashedly like the incomparable cottage it is, its soft gray exterior popping out of the vivid landscape. The result of these contrasts is an experiment in unconventional living.
Šépka Architects is known for creating atypical residential projects like this, but House in the Orchard is perhaps one of the studio’s most structurally exotic designs to date. The three-story home is elevated on a single concrete pillar due to its location on a steep hillside, appearing to sprout up from the ground like the trees around it. Constructing a traditional foundation would not only have been more difficult to design given the sloped setting, but more expensive, as well. The singular column that bears the weight of the house is perhaps the most noteworthy aspect of this design.
House in the Orchard’s irregular shape is divided into planar triangular spaces. The form is made up of plywood sheets cut on a 3D milling machine and assembled on-site like a construction set. The exterior was then sprayed with a layer of polyurethane and masked with a rock-colored, waterproof skin. A steel footbridge connects the structure with the top of the hill.
The first floor hosts the main living space, which includes a table and chairs, a furnace and additional seating. The room features a large, boxy window that opens up to north-facing views.
Natural light is a major theme in House in the Orchard. The smooth plywood interior absorbs sunlight to give off a calm, attractive glow inside the house. The custom-built plywood furniture, also designed by Šépka, adds a layer of comfort for visitors, blending into the seamless motif of solitude and relaxation.
A ladder-like staircase leads visitors to the second floor where there is a small kitchen, bedrooms and a bathroom.
A large skylight in the top-floor study beams throughout the entire house. Though there are few windows within the structure, it is impressive that the architects were able to achieve such clarity of light and life within the house.
These distinct design choices result in a cozy, minimalist structure perfect for a small family’s fall or winter retreat. Its unique shape and height convey a modern treehouse-appeal, but its humble functionality characterizes House in the Orchard as so much more.
Images courtesy of Šépka Architects