homestead maneschowitz
the best holiday ever !
- Countryside Homestead Maneschowitz – invited private competition winner
- Homestead Maneschowitz nominated for Mies van der Rohe Award 2017
- BIG SEE ARCHITECTURE AWARD 2019, Czech Republic, Residential architecture
- Czech Architecture Award, among selected projects, 2019
“the best holiday”
A1architects had taken part in private competition held by wide family.
The task was to renovate an old homestead which was decided to serve as a holiday home for big family which spreads from Prague to Vienna and the small village Manešovice is just half a way. It took four years to complete the project and construction after winning the competition in 2012.
new life of old yard
The original yard was surrounded by two old buildings, the barn and old country family house. These two were accompanied by third new timber house meant for guests of the master family which uses the main old building for their holiday. The new guesthouse building smartly closes the yard but on the other hand opens towards new views of nearby meadows. The center of the house is literally only the roof above grand veranda with common kitchen and terrace to leisure and enjoy time outside together. The idea of the third house was inspired by old maps, where we found that there already used to be anothern barns closing the courtyard many years ago. The new house concept purposefully follows this traditonal character and genius loci of the site, but uses contemporary architecture language. The open center of the house is a free parallel on old great barns with a threshing floor. Thus the intimate yard gets new connection openning towards countryside picturesque landscape.
the cottage
The old country house was refurbished mainly for the master family use, but provides also big kitchen connected with main gathering living room with a stove. The stove is in the center axe of the room and could be enjoyed even from the warm top. There are also three bedrooms with their own bathrooms and toilets and a small studio or atelier in the attic, which is connected by small wooden bridge with the guesthouse. The old house serves also as a center place for all technical services of all the complex.
the guesthouse
New timber house closes the yard with its roof, but also opens it towards the view of backyard meadows. The house is divided into three parts – two edge houses with green gabled roof, where are all guest rooms. The third and center part is great wooden terrace with common garden kitchen (so callde “family pub”) under the long gabled roof. The kitchen part could be closed by glazed folding walls, in case of colder weather. Above the kitchen is a small attic floor which is meant as playroom.
the ranch
There is also a forth house which was designed in very separated position to serve as an independent family house, for the caretaker of the whole complex. It is called “ranch” becuase of the idea of keeping the small group of horses there too. The ranch house is also new timber structure with independent entrance way, so it could be easilly seperated.
The aim of the whole concept was about keeping the old countryside atmosphere accompanied with contemporary life standards of living. The beauty of countryside roughness is followed by simple yet clear lines of new timber structures and inbuilt furniture.