Kezmarska Hut

The competition entry developed by ATELIER 8000 proposes a succinct shape of a simple cube which is seated on one of its vertices and aims at inducing a feeling of lightness and randomness in the observer. Due to its position within the landscape the cuboid evokes an erratic block left behind by the retreating glacier. In the context of mountain peaks the sharp edges of the building merge into the outline of the neighbouring rocks when viewed from distance and thus naturally join the landscape of the site. Thanks to the positioning of the construction, three sides of the facade are visible from any viewing point, which amplifies the play of light and shadows – the same effect which can be observed on the neighbouring rocks. The glass surfaces of windows and photovoltaic panels along with the light transparency of the metal plating complete the whole picture of the site with a touch of glimmer – just like the glints and reflections which can be observed on the surface of a mountain lake or on thawing ice. The construction is built with glued laminated timber beams made from larch wood. The aluminium facade system is designed in the form ofsquare panels. The dimensions of the individual elements of the facade are designed in the module of 1x1m to facilitate easy handling and transport to the building site. The basement contains a garage for the snowmobile, staff entrance, ski storage, drying room, boots + backpacks, restaurant restrooms, technologies. The ground floor is occupied by the restaurant with a wood-burning fireplace and deck. The 1st and 2nd floors house accommodation, while the attic contains sleeping accommodation for emergency needs and a meditation room. The design of the individual technical facilities of the building aims at meeting the demanding targets of energy sustainability of the hut. In terms of its energy generation and consumption the hut has been developed as a passive building with very low thermal losses. The shape and orientation of the hut are adapted to utilise the solar energy to the maximum possible extent. The parts of the facade with energy generation units (photovoltaic panels, thermal solar collectors) are oriented southwards and eastwards and face the sunrays directly.