The architectural design of a new semi-detached family house on Úvalská Street in Prague’s Strašnice district responds to the historically valuable and urbanistically stabilized context of the villa quarter, characterized by a heterogeneous built fabric. The project replaces an existing building from the first half of the 20th century that no longer meets current structural and spatial requirements with a new structure that respects the tradition of semi-detached houses aligned along the street. The sensitive intervention of contemporary architecture into the historical context of Strašnice preserves both the scale and the atmosphere of the place.

The proposal consists of a pair of mirror-arranged family houses, combined into a compact volume, while each unit maintains its own functional and spatial autonomy. The massing is restrained, based on a simple cubic form, complemented by a subtle rhythm of façade openings and a visual accent in the form of a recessed top floor with roof terraces. The layout concept is universal and allows flexible use of the space, including straightforward future modifications of the upper floor. The structural and material solution combines a traditional masonry load-bearing structure with a lightweight top-floor extension. The color variants of the house allow it either to blend unobtrusively with the surrounding greenery and urban environment or to offer a moderately more expressive interpretation of the locality’s traditional material tones.