Šépka Architekti Completes Wardrobe House, a Prefab Timber Home in Prague's Ořechovka District

Key facts

• Wardrobe House is located in Prague's Ořechovka district in the Czech Republic.
• It was designed by the local studio Šépka Architekti, founded by Jan Šépka.
• The house is modelled on a footed wardrobe, with a tall, narrow form raised on legs and openable on one side.
• It was built for a client who needed independent living space for two children, Ema and Jan, as the family outgrew their existing villa.
• The structure sits at the rear of the client's garden among mature trees to avoid competing visually with the early 20th-century existing house.
• The lower steel section was prefabricated in a workshop and crane-installed, with micropiles protecting neighbouring tree roots.
• The three-storey timber upper section was assembled in the workshop and lifted into position by crane in one day.
• The floor plan measures five by 2.5 metres and total usable area is 34 square metres.
• The first floor contains a shared kitchen and dining space; two ensuite bedrooms occupy the floors above.
• Interiors and facade are lined with plywood, including built-in furniture, storage, kitchen cabinetry and shower enclosures.
• Large shutters can close off the glazed, fully openable elevation overlooking the trees.
• Photography of the project is by Aleš Jungmann.