Architect’s Apartment

An airy and bright apartment designed with a central, open-plan space and a balcony filled with plants.

When architects design their own home, their creative vision is personal, capturing not only their style preferences and love of specific materials, but also their passions and interests. In some cases, the living spaces are a pure embodiment of their core architectural principles. The Architect’s Apartment project is a great example. Designed by René Dlesk of RDTH architekti in collaboration with Tamara Kolaříková, this residence in Prague, the Czech Republic, is the architect’s home.

Located on the 11th floor of a tall panel building in Prague 5, the apartment had a standard layout with an entrance area, smaller separate rooms, and a balcony. The architect renovated the entire space and reconfigured the layout to create a home that better suits his family of three. Removing the entrance space allowed the team to create a large, open-plan area at the heart of the apartment. This space houses the kitchen, dining table and living room as well as a children’s play area. A projector replaces the classic TV screen, freeing up space on the shelving unit while making watching movies and cartoons extra-special.

Previously located in one bedroom, the balcony is now connected to the open-plan family space. A nature lover with a green thumb, the architect grows a series of plants here, effectively creating a garden in the middle of the urban environment. Opening to views of Prague, the balcony becomes a verdant extension of the living room.

The apartment also contains a guest room that doubles as an office, and a room for the couple’s young daughter. Sliding doors link the previously separate rooms, encouraging play and accentuating the sense of openness and airiness. Built-in cabinets provide plenty of storage room while optimizing the available space. This area of the apartment also features a niche for the washing machine and a white-tiled bathroom. A new window brings natural light into the bathroom and frames views of the city’s parks.

Working within the strict rules of the building’s HOA, the studio found a creative solution to install the wiring. Instead of using false ceilings that would significantly alter the height of the apartment, the team designed steel elements that house both the wiring and the overhead lighting. This industrial accent complements the minimalist aesthetic of the home perfectly, especially as the architect also preserved the rough wall and ceiling surfaces that remained after the removal of some partitions. The different finishes indicate the original construction and the new interventions, weaving a story between the apartment’s old and new chapters.

On this project, RDTH architekti collaborated with Stanislav Schuch, who crafted the custom furniture. Wood infuses the home with warmth throughout, from the timber furniture to the ash veneer of the cabinets. In the future, the architect plans to wrap the walls of the master bedroom in wood panels to make it resemble a cozy cabin. Photographs© Filip Beránek.