Plastic Windows, Plywood, and Pluck Bring Together This $56K DIY Cabin in the Czech Republic

May 03, 2023

Plastic Windows, Plywood, and Pluck Bring Together This $56K DIY Cabin in the Czech Republic

The owners, a pair of architects, used the "least expensive materials possible" to build a rough-and-ready retreat near the mountains.

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Project Details:

Location: Sušice, Czech Republic

Architect: BYRÓ Architekti / @byro_architekti

Footprint: 377 square feet

Estimated Cost: $56,000

Photographer: Ondřej Bouška

From the Architect: "The house is located on the border of the city and the surrounding countryside, on a narrow and sloping plot, which offers a beautiful view of the city and the adjacent Šumava mountains. The cabin is situated on the edge of the plot and the access road, where its gable smoothly transitions into the entrance gate and fence, which, like the facade of the house, is made of rough-cut roof battens. The battens of the fence gradually become sparser, leaving a visual connection between the courtyard and the surrounding trees, while also providing privacy from passersby. The principle of the house and fence are reinforced by the consistent use of red color, which is inspired by other homes in the region.

"The curved roof was something extra we wanted to add to the simple cabin from the beginning. We knew that the project had to be low cost and that we would be working with a very small building. At the same time, we wanted to give the house and its interior space a unique detail and specific spatial atmosphere that would define it. Thanks to the curved roof, when viewed from the garden or from a distance, the curve of the house follows the horizon of the landscape and symbolically closes the row of surrounding cottages.

"Another significant aspect of the cabin is that is uses the least expensive materials available. The facade is made up of randomly laid and oriented battens, the floor is simple concrete, the windows are plastic, the interiors feature plaster, second-grade plywood, and tiles, and the bathroom floor is made of industrial rubber. The interior is mainly furnished with custom-made furniture, which helps to efficiently arrange the modest space and provides ample storage space. The interior cabinets are made of furniture laminate, while the doors are made of plywood. The kitchen has standardized Ikea cabinets with DIY plywood doors, the worktop is made of simple white laminate, and the brackets for the furniture shelves are from a hobby market, for example.

"In addition to designing, drafting, and permitting process, we were involved in the whole project literally from start to finish. We ended up building the house ourselves (just two people). The project thus became an experiment for us in every way. Given that we were operating with very limited budget, we (the client) were unable to find anyone and so we tackled the facade ourselves during one summer week. In the end, we spent about three months on the house."