Dezeen Magazine

Mjölk Architekti's Carbon house features a burnt wood exterior

The timber walls of this house outside Prague have been partially charred, intended as a reference to the clients' love of cooking (+ slideshow).

The Carbon by Mjölk Architekti

Designed by Czech studio Mjölk Architekti, the house is clad with vertical timber planks that have only been slightly burnt, giving the exterior a multi-tonal appearance that varies from pale brown to black.

The Carbon by Mjölk Architekti

"Katka and Honza are cooking all the time," explained architect Jan Vondrák, naming the couple who will live in the house with their three sons, a dog and a cat.

The Carbon by Mjölk Architekti

"So they decided to burn their new house as well, but not from ground to top, only all around," he said.

The Carbon by Mjölk Architekti

This prompted the name of the building, UhlÌk, which translates as "carbon". "The house had its own working title through its creation," added Vondrák.

The Carbon by Mjölk Architekti

Located in Pyšely, a rural town 18 kilometres south of the Czech capital, the two-storey house provides the family with a three-bedroom home, surrounded by a garden and vegetable patch.

The Carbon by Mjölk Architekti

Instead of windows, the open-plan ground floor features a series of glass doors that allow residents to open their living and dining spaces up to the outdoors on three sides.

The Carbon by Mjölk Architekti

A study area sits at the back of the lounge, behind a wood-burning stove, while the kitchen is tucked away beyond the dining table.

The Carbon by Mjölk Architekti

Walls are painted white, contrasting with the wooden ceiling beams left exposed overhead. Lighting fixtures hang down between the rafters, while an exposed ventilation pipe forms an extract for the kitchen.

The Carbon by Mjölk Architekti

The staircase sits at the centre of the building, beside an entrance porch that protrudes out to the north. The architects wanted to make efficient use of space, so slotted the washing machine and other utilities beneath the structure of the stairs.

The Carbon by Mjölk Architekti

There are three bedrooms upstairs, although the original design was for just two. An additional wall was inserted later, after the couple gave birth to their third child.

The Carbon by Mjölk Architekti

Photography is by BoysPlayNice.

The Carbon by Mjölk Architekti
Exploded axonometric diagram
The Carbon by Mjölk Architekti
Site plan – click for larger image
The Carbon by Mjölk Architekti
Ground floor plan – click for larger image
The Carbon by Mjölk Architekti
First floor plan – click for larger image
The Carbon by Mjölk Architekti
Cross section – click for larger image
The Carbon by Mjölk Architekti
Long section – click for larger image