This dynamic and angular property is the creation of head architects, Jiri Opocensky and Stepan Valouch. Built on the outskirts of Svitavy, Czech Republic, this house combines sleek, stylish design with environmental innovation - ‘The garage is disguised as a knoll fashioned from excavated soil’ and the house’s source of heat is a simple fireplace and air-water heat pump. Disguise is becoming an increasingly important aesthetic of today’s architectural projects. Part of the ‘Not in my back garden’ syndrome, architects must find ways of blending their properties into the natural landscape whilst maintaining a certain level of style and innovation within their designs. The outer shell of the house mixes grey/blue cement boards with wooden partitions and skipped fields, offering a window to the landscape beyond. From a distance, on a particularly grey-skied day, this house would appear almost invisible to the human eye.

According to ArchDaily.com ‘the basic concept (of the house) revolves around the division of the house into two halves: northern and southern. The southern half is dedicated to the common family life opening to the sun exposure […] The northern half is intended for the individual family members and contains bedrooms, a hall and technical facilities. Instead of a hallway, the interior layout features a common open area for family encounters.’ Not only is this house a work of architectural splendour; it is also a family home, fit for purpose thanks to the detailed considerations of Opocensky and Valouch.

Images/Quotes: Archdaily.com