Designing a home for someone on the cusp of a new beginning – in this case, a client settling down to family life – requires a delicate balance of the past, present and future. Atelier Lina Bellovicova brought all these elements together with House LO, built on the clients’ land in the woods of Velehrad, Czech Republic.
House LO completely connects to nature in location, construction and function. The studio embraced the added challenge of working with a building material, hempcrete, for the first time: a recyclable material known for its great insulating features and its resistance to pests, fire and molds.
The home forms a simple rectangular silhouette with two stone volumes topped by a green roof. At the center of the one-level dwelling is the living room, exposed to the surrounding nature by large sliding windows on both sides. Tucked away from view are two bedrooms and a bathroom on one end, and the kitchen area on the other. A cellar serves multiple purposes as a photo darkroom, a club room, and storage area. Running around the house is a large terrace, an additional outdoor area protected by the roof overhang.
Conceived to adapt to the changing needs of its inhabitants, House LO has all the makings of an idyllic dwelling for building fond memories in. See more works from the architecture studio on their website.
More Czech Republic homes from the archives.
Photography © BoysPlayNice for Atelier Lina Bellovicova