IKA.ARCHITEKTI RENOVATED FAMILY HOUSE KŘENOVICE, AN OLD HOUSE IN THE VILLAGE OF KŘENOVICE, INTO AN ASYMMETRICAL WHITE HOME
TEXT: PHARIN OPASSEREPADUNG
PHOTO: TOMÁŠ SLAVÍK
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Family House Křenovice is a renovation and redesign by Czech studio ika.architekti, reimagining an existing home for contemporary living with a thoughtful eye toward the years ahead. The project expands the original footprint and introduces new functions, resulting in a two-story white house with a rooftop garden, owned by a full-time doctor who is also a part-time artist.
Architects Tomáš Dvořák and Lenka Bažík were commissioned by the couple to reimagine their home in the village of Křenovice in the south of the Czech Republic. The brief called for a calm, simple environment that would accommodate the two inhabitants’ daily lives both now and in the future. Drawing on the owners’ dual identities as a physician and an artist, the architects fused practicality with creativity, resulting in a clean white house that feels both understated and distinctive.
The two-story house stands out with its unusual form and rooftop garden, yet it remains in harmony with its surroundings. The structure is divided into three parts: on one side, a gable-roofed volume recalls a traditional Western house, while the other appears as if it were sliced in half, distinguished by a circular window and a slightly taller roofline. These two wings are connected by a single-story rectangular hall at the center. A slatted canopy extends across the front, filtering natural light and forming a shaded terrace that flows seamlessly into the garden. Inside this connecting space are the kitchen and a cozy lounge area, highlighted by a green roof that rises from the central hall and continues up to the taller gable.
Originally a single-story home, the residence was transformed into two levels while preserving parts of the original structure, including sections of the ground-floor exterior walls. The new roof and upper structure were added during the renovation, with the former attic space converted into an artist’s studio that now welcomes abundant natural light throughout the day.
A defining feature of the house is the small rooftop garden above the bedroom, extending from the central roof toward the taller gable. It serves as a link between the indoors and outdoors, creating a balance between the solidity of the structure and the softness of greenery. The result is a gentle and well-tempered architectural rhythm. Although the two main volumes of the house are asymmetrical, their contrast adds liveliness and a sense of dynamic balance to the overall form.
While the rooftop garden and front terrace are partly screened by the carport, this layout enhances the home’s privacy. The modest height of the two-story building ensures it blends harmoniously with the surrounding neighborhood, its white façade, brown roof, and green foliage composing a calm, cohesive palette. Inside, the house accommodates living areas, an art workspace, and other functional spaces. The main living zone opens seamlessly onto the front garden, creating a natural and effortless transition between indoors and outdoors.
Although newly renovated, the architects chose to preserve and combine original and local materials. The new wall extension was built with Porotherm brick blocks finished in smooth plaster, providing natural thermal insulation. Inside, wooden beams are integrated with plasterboard, while the material palette lends the interior a warm, gentle atmosphere filled with balanced natural light. Stair edges are softened into curves, and accents of bluish-green add a subtle contrast that complements the wood and gray tones of the furniture.
Respecting the original layout, the new structure preserves the home’s character through a restrained yet refined design. Attuned to its surroundings and reflective of its owners’ personalities, Family House Křenovice unites life and nature with quiet coherence.