| Object type: | Low-energy house |
| Designer: | Ing. arch. Vendula Cimala |
| Building company: | Progressproject, s.r.o. |
| Specific need of heat for heating: | do 50 kWh/(m2a) |
| Structure: | Single-layer masonry construction without additional insulation |
HELUZ assortment used
The couple with three adult children wanted to modify their house, which became too big for two. But fate did it differently. The explosion in the neighborhood damaged the original object so much that instead of making minor adjustments, it came to a reconstruction. However, thanks to the use OF HELUZ FAMILY bricks, investors have lived in new homes in just a few months.
The explosion, which shook the small village in September 2018, was caused by an unprofessional manipulation of so-called components for the secret production of fireworks. The explosion destroyed more than fifty homes in the surrounding area, three objects in the close neighborhood have been destroyed so much that they had to be torn down. One of them was a two-story family house from the 1980s, in which the spouses lived with their children. Before the mentioned disaster occurred, they planned a partial reconstruction of their house.
"When our adult children left the house, the house became too big for us. We thought we would have built a studio flat on the ground floor, leaving a four-room flat for children with their families when they arrive for a visit on the above floor. But the explosion came before we were able to put our plan into being,” says the owner. She doesn't like to recall the tragic event, but with her husband, they got away without injury only through an interplay of good luck, and the explosion took her home, to which she had a strong emotional bond – the house was built by her parents for years and she spent there many happy years with them and with her own family. Today, however, he can also see the disaster from the other side, remembering, among other things, the invaluable help of loved ones, friends, acquaintances but also foreign people who supported them materially or financially. "Thanks" to the disaster, she and her husband also have a new, modern home that is ideal for both the size and characteristics.
HELP FROM THE FAMILY
It sounds incredible, but the spouses have moved to the new house within less than six months of the disaster. They have the project by Ing. arch. Vendula Cimala from the company Progessproject in their hands already in November, in June of the following year, they moved in. There was no need for any modification in the project, which corresponded exactly to the needs and wishes of both of the couple from the beginning. The reason was prosaic – all the investors’ demands were formulated in detail by their son-in-law, the architect David Musil, and they and the architect Cimala created the project together. “We were not exposed to any complex decisions, house type selection, building materials, and technology. David Musil knows us and our way of life very well, so he was able to make the crucial decisions for us and we had no reason to contest the proposals,” says the investor.
SPACE AND COMFORT
And what investor requirements were important for the project? “Since all three children have already left the nest, the intention was to create a single-story house with a 4 rooms+ kitchenette layout on existing foundations, which would meet the needs of the spouses for a large living space, so that the whole family can meet at the table while each couple has their room for their privacy. The house is designed to meet the parameters of the low energy standard. A compact and simple shape was chosen with a good disposition and purposeful composition of the window openings," explains David Musil the essential characteristics.
Emphasis is placed on the living room so that its area within the house is as large as possible. The entrance to the house is via a door from which the technical room is directly accessible. A hallway follows the entrance from which other rooms in the house can be entered. On the right, there are a separate toilet, a bathroom, and a changing room, but it can also serve as a room for guests. On the left, there is a bedroom of the spouses and an entrance into the living room with a kitchenette. The last room is situated at the end of the corridor. “Window composition is based on the layout of the object and the location of the house on the corner. As the northern facade follows the street line, the windows are only located on facades oriented to the garden. Large French windows run from the living room and bedroom to the southern terrace,” adds David Musil. It is precisely the narrow contact between the interior and the garden that the husbands appreciate very much. “David knew how happy I was to stay in the garden. In the previous house, we had a limited view of the garden, windows from the kitchen on the floor led to the street, in the direction, where the explosion came from,. In the new house, this side is almost completely closed and we are looking into the garden from virtually all windows. I can see it from the kitchen window next to the sink, and also from the western-oriented room, a piece of the garden can be seen. We're in contact with nature,” praises the investor and adds that another advantage that she appreciates with her husband is the accessibility of their new home: “There are no steps to be taken, also, barrier-free access to the garden, just beautiful!”
ONLY BRICK WALLED!
The construction of a single-story building consists of the foundation and base plate of the original building. The roof is hipped with a wooden supporting structure. “The building is made of the HELUZ FAMILY ceramic blocks. The perimetric masonry is also made up of the vertical structure of the building and is finished with a reinforced concrete crown. The ceiling is made up of a gypsum plasterboard soffit. The partitions are also designed from the HELUZ system,” says the builder David Musil. The choice of the HELUZ FAMILY 50 system was intentional, as it offers the best thermal insulation properties on the market compared to other materials for single-layer masonry without filled cavities. The coefficient of heat transfer for this system is at the level of passive houses (U = 0.14 W/m2K) and these values reach the HELUZ family bricks without the need for additional external insulation.
This makes the construction work faster and results in healthier, breathable construction with long service life and lower energy costs. “The new house project was available very fast due to Mr. Musil and the architect, and the construction was also very fast,” praises the investor and, after a year of living in the new house, she adds: “Living in the new house is better in many ways compared to the previous one. In the old house in the winter, the cold permeated the walls, in the new house there is a pleasant climate in winter and summer. In the past, we also constantly heard sounds from a nearby road and crossing, today, even when the windows are open, they reach us at best, as if from a distance.” And why did investors choose a brick house? "I always believed in bricks, my dad used to work in brickyards ... The brick house is a brick house. I also took the good experience of David Musil, who chose a particular masonry, and we are really happy with his choice.”
MODERN LOOK
The object is plastered in white plaster. Anthracite window frames, both in exterior and interior, and Tegalit concrete roof tiles in black are used to support the architectural expression. The outdoor garage and fencing are made of singed wood, which is also a significant element completing the architecture of the house. “It remains to complete certain details, especially in the garden, where, however, we have the worst behind us - it was badly damaged by both the explosion and the demolition of the old house and the construction of a new one. Last year we established a new lawn, restored flower beds, a new pergola is ready, so there are only small things left,“ says the investor. She and her husband praise comfortably living in the new house. “We have a modern house, energy-efficient, maintenance-free and accessible. We enjoy the comfort, access to the garden, and the view the most. We are very happy about that,” says Mrs. Skřivánková, adding that it is high time to throw everything bad behind your head and start a new stage of life with a new house. All that remains is to wish only the good in this next chapter.
