Kamenice Villas / NEW HOW Architects

Architects: NEW HOW architects
Area: 1815 m²
Year: 2022
Photographs: Petr Polák
Manufacturers: Grohe, Laufen, Rako, Schneider Electric, Korado
Landscape Architecture: Atelier Partero
Design Team: NEW HOW architects
General Construction Contractor: Stavix
Steel And Glass Railings Contractor: Alia systém
Garden Contractor: Landeco
Extensive Green Roof: Greenville
City: Kamenice
Country: Czech Republic

The Two Villas residential project designed by NEW HOW architects in Kamenice village, close to its urban center, introduces a significant development within the area. Positioned near Ringhofferova Street, these buildings serve as a gateway to the village center, blending seamlessly with the surrounding architecture and enhancing community interaction. The design incorporates original green spaces and mature trees, creating a park-like central area between the buildings.

In recent years, the village of Kamenice has seen a surge in population and a construction boom. The original rural character of the village is transitioning to urban-style architecture, particularly in its center. The designated plot lies in proximity to the center, alongside the village’s main urban corridor, Ringhofferova Street. The surrounding area features a mix of family homes, cottages, and apartment buildings. To the north, the plot borders the main pedestrian pathway that spans the village. Consequently, two villas have been positioned to form a symbolic entrance to Kamenice’s center.

The plot is trapezoidal, with longer sides running parallel while the shorter sides facing the streets diverge. This geometric characteristic influenced the urban design, leading to the placement of two nearly identical square-plan structures on the plot, with external facades aligned with the shorter plot sides. These buildings are angled at 13 degrees relative to each other. This rotation influences various elements such as the curved parking area, the roof design, and the funnel-shaped entrance road.

The site is segmented into longitudinal sections, each serving different purposes. A road on the eastern edge leads to a parking area, which is bordered on its other side by a pedestrian path connecting Ringhoffer Street with the northern walkway. The western part of the plot, being the broadest, is allocated for private residential use. A central park-like space, preserved with mature trees, forms a semi-private area enhancing the communal life of the residents. Private gardens adjacent to the ground-floor apartments define the periphery of this residential zone.

The primary concept behind this project was to integrate two apartment buildings into an area populated with mature trees, ensuring the new structures complement and blend with the existing architectural landscape. The two villas, featuring square layouts and diagonal roofs, engage with the existing structures and introduce a coherent architectural principle to the previously disorganized central area of the village. Their dynamic facades and wooden exteriors present a refined and inviting look, harmonizing with the natural environment. Each three-story villa accommodates eight apartments, varying from 2+k’ette to 4+k’ette, with all units on each floor accessible via a single staircase.

Structurally, the buildings employ monolithic reinforced concrete for horizontal elements such as footings, floors, and balconies, while load-bearing walls are constructed from brick blocks. The roof, covered with a grey PVC membrane, consists of wooden rafters supported by steel purlins and is finished with vertical wooden slats made from Siberian larch. The parking area features a steel structure with trapezoidal sheet metal roofing, and the roof is extensively green. The parking lot’s access road is made of concrete grass blocks filled with fine gravel.