Mimosa Architects’mountain cottage in the Krkonoše village of Strážné reinterprets the spatial concepts and material character of traditional
alpine dwellings, developing a contemporary household retreat rooted in the landscape and craft traditions of the area. On a hillside above the mountain village of Strážné in the Krkonoše Mountains, Prague studio Mimosa Architects has finished the reconstruction of a personal home that re-establishes the existence of a standard alpine house on the website. The new building replaces a heavily altered lumber log house whose initial character had actually been obscured over years by ad hoc additions, bad repairs and layers of artificial cladding presented throughout the period of mass entertainment.
Ground flooring strategy. First layout. Although the task started as a repair, the remaining material of the cottage proved to be in poor technical condition and offered little that could be meaningfully preserved. Instead of trying a literal remediation, the architects set out to recover the underlying spirit of the original house– making use of the spatial principles, percentages and material reasoning that define historical structures in the Krkonoše landscape.
Mountain architecture in this area is characterised by high, sheltering roofs developed to stand up to long winter seasons and heavy snowfall. Hayloft dormers, boarded gables and stone plinths sit above low timber structures arranged according to a conventional tripartite strategy. Mimosa Architects utilized these components as the beginning point for a contemporary interpretation, shaping a cottage that feels embedded in the local structure culture without turning to ornamental historicism.
The project prevents imposing modern-day spatial concepts onto a standard envelope, with the architects instead permitting the enduring piece of the initial structure– an exposed beam ceiling– to figure out the proportions of the principal interior areas. The height and scale of the primary living-room, and by extension the remainder of the house, were stemmed from this component, assisting to preserve the intimate and protective environment typical of historical mountain interiors.
Big locations of operable and frameless glazing present contemporary openness while keeping the rhythm of the conventional structural frame. From the outside, the building checks out as a compact lumber home below a high roofing system; within, views extend out throughout the surrounding mountain landscape.
Stone is used for the plinth and external paving, while metal and sheet metal elements provide detailing for railings, roof and façade components.
The ground flooring is organised around the primary living room, developed as the social heart of the house. Built-in seating lines the windows while a large table connects the area together, creating a meeting place for friends and family. Within the footprint of the original structure, Mimosa likewise inserted a guest bedroom and a staircase. A cluster of small service rooms included during the socialist period has actually been reworked to accommodate a sauna and associated facilities.
Wood forms the main building and ending up product throughout the building– used for the façade, roofing structure, floorings, interior wall cladding, windows, doors and bespoke joinery.
Between the hillside and the historical volume of the home, the designers also presented a secondary zone consisting of the practical areas required for mountain living. This includes a pantry, laundry room, plant room, workshop and storage for skiing and biking devices, along with a combined bathroom designed to serve both bikes and pet dogs returning from the outdoors.
Above, the attic level follows the character of conventional loft interiors. The spaces are open and generous underneath the high roofing system while still providing privacy for individual member of the family. Bedrooms located in the gable ends frame views across the ridges of the Krkonoše Mountains.
The building’s services were created with the realities of its remote location in mind. Instead of pursuing demonstrative technological self-sufficiency, Mimosa chose simple and robust systems meant to run silently within the landscape. The home remains linked to the electrical grid, while heating and domestic hot water are provided by a ground-source heatpump connected to a geothermal borehole. Water is drawn from a nearby spring, and wastewater is dealt with through an on-site treatment plant.
Credits
Designer
Mimosa Architects
Wood flooring and wooden wall cladding product
Oakcent
Cladding and tiles
Archtiles
Joinery
Brick
Interior wall cladding and doors
AM Interior
Metalwork
Kurel
Light supplier
Bulb
Windows
Janošík Okna-Dveře
Wellness
Aquamarine Medspa