Lake Cabin | FAM Architekti

The replacement of an old cabin on a lake shore in northern Czech Republic respects the unique natural character of the site and follows the cabin’s original outline. The brief of the project was to provide an all year round retreat for the clients’ sailing passion, with minimum typology and maximum visual connections to the lake and the surrounding pine forest. The single pitch is a result of internal spatial planning as well as the relationship to the lake – shore axis represented by the mooring pier as a principle access point.

The interior of the cabin is accessible through the large window opening and is designed as a continuous space open to the roof. The tall end includes a sleeping gallery with a compact black box underneath containing minimal kitchen, toilet and shower facilities. The principle wall of the interior forms a deep full length cupboard for storage with a built in fire place. The continuity of the interior is enhanced by the unifying jangled timber cladding sealed in white oil finish, which gives it a feeling of a cave like retreat. The floor is a sand coloured cement screed relating to the sandy ground of the beach around the cabin.

The main focus of the space is on the vast views of the lake and on the relationship of the cabin with its natural surroundings. The exterior larch cladding reflects the verticality of the pine trees. One of the practical issues of the project was safety of the building when not in use. Fixed and folding shutters with identical larch cladding protect the openings and when closed result in a continuous elevation effect.