At the beginning of the entire project, there was a duplex apartment with an area of ​​140 m², which at first did not look very good. The chosen layout did not work very well and the terrace, which was the client’s main wish, seemed quite cramped with its 8 m². Fortunately, the client was open to new possibilities, so we were able to propose drastic changes and bold solutions. This allowed us to completely change the layout of both floors, open the terrace to the space and make the most of the apartment area.

The client originally wanted to deal mainly with a new interior, but it did not correspond to how he wanted to use his apartment. Therefore, a completely new layout was created, which included the largest possible terrace, a new bedroom with its own dressing room, bathroom and separate toilet. As a bonus, we also planned a sauna with a view of the outside in the main bedroom, which makes up the entire upper floor of the apartment.

Structurally and legislatively, the biggest challenge was the new terrace. In order to be able to connect it with the interior as best as possible, we designed an intervention in the attic roof and created a large corner glazing of the bedroom. Because Letná falls within the heritage zone, our proposal had to go through approval from conservationists, who were not very inclined to such changes at the beginning. In addition, the upper floor was part of the attic. The truss structure could not be moved. In the end, however, we managed to push through everything and almost double the area of the terrace.

The implementation itself brought many challenges. Reconstruction of apartments in old apartment buildings carries something unforeseen, which could not be counted on in advance. The sauna with a terrace were the key elements of the whole reconstruction, which had to be solved especially from a technical point of view. For example, in the sauna it was necessary to solve the heat and moisture dissipation, which was done by forced ventilation. Structurally and legislatively, the biggest challenge of the whole reconstruction was the terrace. In order to be able to connect the terrace with the interior as best as possible, we designed an intervention in the attic roof and created a large corner glazing of the bedroom. However, since the apartment building is located in a heritage zone, we had to consult this proposal with the heritage care authorities, where it had to go through the approval process. The space of the terrace has almost doubled. A bonus is a window that overlooks the terrace from the sauna.

Despite all the problems, the apartment was reconstructed to the maximum satisfaction of its owners. Completely changed layout of the apartment to family 4 + kitchen perceives very positively, as well as the construction of the sauna and also the solution of the problem of excessive skew of the upper duplex part of the apartment with the reconstruction of the adjacent terrace. The cooperation of the owners with the architect took place to the satisfaction of both parties, we are currently working together on another project.