#houseextension — Public Fediverse posts

A House Extension in Red Metal Lets a Czech Pigsty Cabin Keep Its History

This house extension refuses to disappear, and I think that is its smartest move. Facha architekti, a Prague studio, added 26 m² of red corrugated metal to a former pigsty in Nečín. Usually, architects hide the seam. These architects left it in plain sight.

The project carries the name House With a Red Addition. It stands in a village in the Příbram region of the Czech Republic. The design started in 2021, and the building reached completion in 2025. Peter Fabo photographed it.

This small house renovation deserves attention because owners outgrow small houses everywhere. I expect the question of how to extend a small house without erasing it to grow louder each year. Here, the architects offer a clear method. This article names that method and measures it.

House Extension by Facha architekti

What Makes a House Extension Honest?

An honest house extension shows its own age. A visitor can name the building’s eras without reading a plaque. I call this the Visible Layer Test. Overall, it has two conditions.

First, the new volume must differ in form from the old one. Second, it must differ in material. Beyond that, everything else is decoration.

Facha’s extension passes both. Meanwhile, the old house keeps its own history. The new volume arrives in timber and red metal. So nobody confuses the two.

Compare that with the usual approach. Many extensions copy the plaster color and roof pitch of the original. The standard defense is harmony. Instead, I call it forgery.

How Did a Pigsty Become a Family Home?

The site began as a single-storey pigsty. Later, someone built a simple weekend cabin on top. Over time, the cabin turned into a permanent home, and it kept visible traces of each stage.

Then the owners, a family of four and friends of the architects, ran out of room. The interior no longer gave them enough living space. Also, storage was scarce, and the link to the garden was weak.

The studio read this history as a design brief. The house had already grown by accretion. So the architects added one more layer and made it obvious.

The plot measures 515 m². The house sits at the edge of a larger village. Detached houses and former agricultural buildings surround it in a loose pattern. Even so, a pigsty fits right in.

Why Does Red Corrugated Metal Work on This House Extension?

The Material Case

The studio clad the extension in red corrugated metal sheets over a timber structure. A ventilated facade sits behind the sheets. Still, the reasoning for the extension was practical. The architects wanted a durable, affordable material that they could install themselves.

I like that logic. Corrugated metal belongs to the farm-shed family. Besides, it suits a site that began as a pigsty. So nobody needs to explain why the extension is there.

Here is my disputable view. A red metal box on a village house sounds crude on paper. Admittedly, plaster would feel safer. But safer would also feel dull, and this house is better than dull.

Besides, the studio also reroofed the original house with corrugated metal sheets. The press kit names no color for that roof. Still, the shared material gives both volumes a family resemblance without forcing a match.

The ventilated facade matters too. Air moves behind the metal skin, which protects the timber wall. Clearly, that is a quiet, sensible detail for a timber extension.

The Color Case

Why red? The press kit gives no explanation, so I will offer mine. Red marks the extension as new. Besides, it cannot pass for old paint or weathered boards. So the seam is impossible to miss.

Admittedly, a grey or galvanized finish would look quieter. Also, it would fade into the village. Red keeps the house extension honest.

What Does the Extension Do to the Floor Plan?

The extension enlarges the main living space toward the garden. A large west-facing sliding window opens the interior onto a larch terrace. Next, the terrace includes generous seating steps. A retractable textile awning shades it.

West light means strong evening sun. Besides, the awning handles the glare. That detail tells me someone thought about summer afternoons, not only about photographs.

The new volume also holds the relocated main entrance. In turn, that move freed the original layout. The architects used the space to enlarge the bathroom and redesign the kitchen. Built-in storage in the extension tackles the old shortage.

I rate the entrance move highest. At first, it looks minor. Yet it makes everything else possible.

What Happens Inside the Original House?

The basement and attic stayed largely untouched. Instead, the raised ground floor took the work. The crew insulated the house and fitted new timber windows from CADRE. Also, a new air-to-water heat pump now supplies heat.

Inside, custom-built pine plywood furniture fills the rooms. Natural linoleum covers the floor, specifically DLW Colorette by Gerflor. Meanwhile, the bathroom has cement-based plaster. A rotating wood-burning stove completes the list.

Pine plywood also lines the extension’s interior. I would pick it over white drywall every time here. After all, plywood shows its grain and its seams. That matches the honesty of the red exterior.

TON supplied the chairs and table, and Artemide supplied the lighting. Good choices, and nothing more to say.

The Footprint-to-Floor Gap

Numbers tell a sharper story about the extension. First, the house covers 50 m² of built-up area. Then the extension adds 26 m². So the footprint grows by 52 percent.

Gross floor area rises from 154 m² to 180 m², a gain of 17 percent. Usable floor area climbs from 107 m² to 126 m². In total, that is 18 percent more.

I call this the Footprint-to-Floor Gap. Put simply, it compares how much ground an extension covers with how much usable space it adds. Here, a 52 percent footprint increase buys an 18 percent gain in usable area.

Here, the reason is simple. After all, the old house stacks levels. The extension stays on one. So the gap looks wide, yet it misleads.

Now my thesis follows. A small house extension earns its place through rearrangement, not square meters. Nineteen usable square meters moved the entrance, the bathroom and the kitchen. Together, the two buildings cover 76 m² of a 515 m² plot, about 15 percent.

Why Build Your Own House Extension?

The studio built the extension itself, together with the clients. That covers the timber structure, the facade and the interior linings. The architects call direct involvement an integral part of their practice.

Next, they say it lets them realize details that contractors rarely handle on small, unconventional projects. Likewise, it feeds knowledge back into later work. They argue that theoretical education cannot replace that experience.

I call this the Build-Along Dividend. The designer who lifts the sheet metal learns what the drawing missed. Thus every later project collects the payout.

Skeptics will say architects should draw and contractors should build. Fair. But on odd, small jobs, suitable contractors are hard to find. So the studio picked up the tools.

Where Does This Small House Renovation Lead Next?

Here are three predictions. They are mine, not the studio’s.

First, I expect more owners to keep an old shell and add a plainly different extension. The Visible Layer Test gives them a rule they can defend at a kitchen table.

Second, corrugated metal will keep moving from sheds into living spaces. It is affordable, durable and easy to install. So designers will keep noticing that.

Third, small studios that build their own work will attract clients who hate surprises. Those clients want details checked at full scale, with a hammer in hand.

House Extension at a Glance

ItemDetailProjectHouse With a Red AdditionStudioFacha architekti, PragueLocationNečín, Příbram region, Czech RepublicTimelineProject year 2021, completion 2025Original buildingSingle-storey pigsty with a weekend cabin on topPlot size515 m²Built-up area50 m² house, 26 m² extensionGross floor area154 m² house, 26 m² extensionUsable floor area107 m² house, 19 m² extensionExtension structureTimber with a ventilated facadeExtension exteriorRed corrugated metal sheetsExtension interiorPine plywoodOutdoor spaceWest-facing larch terrace with seating steps and a retractable textile awningHeatingAir-to-water heat pump and a rotating wood-burning stoveBuildersFacha architekti with the clientsFramework: Visible Layer TestNew volume differs in form and material from the old oneFramework: Footprint-to-Floor Gap52 percent more footprint, 18 percent more usable areaFramework: Build-Along DividendKnowledge a designer gains by building the work personally

Frequently Asked Quetions About This House Extension

Who designed House With a Red Addition?

Facha architekti, a Prague studio, designed it. The authors are Martin Chlanda, Andrea Sobotková, Matěj Nepustil, Jana Fischerová and Nikola Gronychová.

Where is the house?

It stands in Nečín, in the Příbram region of the Czech Republic.

What was the building before the renovation?

It began as a single-storey pigsty. Later, someone added a weekend cabin on top. Then the cabin gradually became a permanent home.

How big is the extension?

It covers 26 m² of built-up area and 26 m² of gross floor area. Meanwhile, its usable floor area is 19 m².

What is the extension made of?

A timber structure forms the frame. Red corrugated metal sheets clad the ventilated facade. Inside, pine plywood lines the interior.

Did the architects build it themselves?

Yes. They built the extension together with the clients, from the timber structure to the facade and interior linings.

What heats the house?

A new air-to-water heat pump supplies heat. Also, a rotating wood-burning stove sits in the interior.

All images © Peter Fabo. Architecture by Facha architekti (Martin Chlanda, Andrea Sobotková, Matěj Nepustil, Jana Fischerová, Nikola Gronychová).

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#architecture #CzechRepublic #FachaArchitekti #house #HouseExtension

A House Extension in Red Metal Lets a Czech Pigsty Cabin Keep Its History

This house extension refuses to disappear, and I think that is its smartest move. Facha architekti, a Prague studio, added 26 m² of red corrugated metal to a former pigsty in Nečín. Usually, architects hide the seam. These architects left it in plain sight.

The project carries the name House With a Red Addition. It stands in a village in the Příbram region of the Czech Republic. The design started in 2021, and the building reached completion in 2025. Peter Fabo photographed it.

This small house renovation deserves attention because owners outgrow small houses everywhere. I expect the question of how to extend a small house without erasing it to grow louder each year. Here, the architects offer a clear method. This article names that method and measures it.

House Extension by Facha architekti

What Makes a House Extension Honest?

An honest house extension shows its own age. A visitor can name the building’s eras without reading a plaque. I call this the Visible Layer Test. Overall, it has two conditions.

First, the new volume must differ in form from the old one. Second, it must differ in material. Beyond that, everything else is decoration.

Facha’s extension passes both. Meanwhile, the old house keeps its own history. The new volume arrives in timber and red metal. So nobody confuses the two.

Compare that with the usual approach. Many extensions copy the plaster color and roof pitch of the original. The standard defense is harmony. Instead, I call it forgery.

How Did a Pigsty Become a Family Home?

The site began as a single-storey pigsty. Later, someone built a simple weekend cabin on top. Over time, the cabin turned into a permanent home, and it kept visible traces of each stage.

Then the owners, a family of four and friends of the architects, ran out of room. The interior no longer gave them enough living space. Also, storage was scarce, and the link to the garden was weak.

The studio read this history as a design brief. The house had already grown by accretion. So the architects added one more layer and made it obvious.

The plot measures 515 m². The house sits at the edge of a larger village. Detached houses and former agricultural buildings surround it in a loose pattern. Even so, a pigsty fits right in.

Why Does Red Corrugated Metal Work on This House Extension?

The Material Case

The studio clad the extension in red corrugated metal sheets over a timber structure. A ventilated facade sits behind the sheets. Still, the reasoning for the extension was practical. The architects wanted a durable, affordable material that they could install themselves.

I like that logic. Corrugated metal belongs to the farm-shed family. Besides, it suits a site that began as a pigsty. So nobody needs to explain why the extension is there.

Here is my disputable view. A red metal box on a village house sounds crude on paper. Admittedly, plaster would feel safer. But safer would also feel dull, and this house is better than dull.

Besides, the studio also reroofed the original house with corrugated metal sheets. The press kit names no color for that roof. Still, the shared material gives both volumes a family resemblance without forcing a match.

The ventilated facade matters too. Air moves behind the metal skin, which protects the timber wall. Clearly, that is a quiet, sensible detail for a timber extension.

The Color Case

Why red? The press kit gives no explanation, so I will offer mine. Red marks the extension as new. Besides, it cannot pass for old paint or weathered boards. So the seam is impossible to miss.

Admittedly, a grey or galvanized finish would look quieter. Also, it would fade into the village. Red keeps the house extension honest.

What Does the Extension Do to the Floor Plan?

The extension enlarges the main living space toward the garden. A large west-facing sliding window opens the interior onto a larch terrace. Next, the terrace includes generous seating steps. A retractable textile awning shades it.

West light means strong evening sun. Besides, the awning handles the glare. That detail tells me someone thought about summer afternoons, not only about photographs.

The new volume also holds the relocated main entrance. In turn, that move freed the original layout. The architects used the space to enlarge the bathroom and redesign the kitchen. Built-in storage in the extension tackles the old shortage.

I rate the entrance move highest. At first, it looks minor. Yet it makes everything else possible.

What Happens Inside the Original House?

The basement and attic stayed largely untouched. Instead, the raised ground floor took the work. The crew insulated the house and fitted new timber windows from CADRE. Also, a new air-to-water heat pump now supplies heat.

Inside, custom-built pine plywood furniture fills the rooms. Natural linoleum covers the floor, specifically DLW Colorette by Gerflor. Meanwhile, the bathroom has cement-based plaster. A rotating wood-burning stove completes the list.

Pine plywood also lines the extension’s interior. I would pick it over white drywall every time here. After all, plywood shows its grain and its seams. That matches the honesty of the red exterior.

TON supplied the chairs and table, and Artemide supplied the lighting. Good choices, and nothing more to say.

The Footprint-to-Floor Gap

Numbers tell a sharper story about the extension. First, the house covers 50 m² of built-up area. Then the extension adds 26 m². So the footprint grows by 52 percent.

Gross floor area rises from 154 m² to 180 m², a gain of 17 percent. Usable floor area climbs from 107 m² to 126 m². In total, that is 18 percent more.

I call this the Footprint-to-Floor Gap. Put simply, it compares how much ground an extension covers with how much usable space it adds. Here, a 52 percent footprint increase buys an 18 percent gain in usable area.

Here, the reason is simple. After all, the old house stacks levels. The extension stays on one. So the gap looks wide, yet it misleads.

Now my thesis follows. A small house extension earns its place through rearrangement, not square meters. Nineteen usable square meters moved the entrance, the bathroom and the kitchen. Together, the two buildings cover 76 m² of a 515 m² plot, about 15 percent.

Why Build Your Own House Extension?

The studio built the extension itself, together with the clients. That covers the timber structure, the facade and the interior linings. The architects call direct involvement an integral part of their practice.

Next, they say it lets them realize details that contractors rarely handle on small, unconventional projects. Likewise, it feeds knowledge back into later work. They argue that theoretical education cannot replace that experience.

I call this the Build-Along Dividend. The designer who lifts the sheet metal learns what the drawing missed. Thus every later project collects the payout.

Skeptics will say architects should draw and contractors should build. Fair. But on odd, small jobs, suitable contractors are hard to find. So the studio picked up the tools.

Where Does This Small House Renovation Lead Next?

Here are three predictions. They are mine, not the studio’s.

First, I expect more owners to keep an old shell and add a plainly different extension. The Visible Layer Test gives them a rule they can defend at a kitchen table.

Second, corrugated metal will keep moving from sheds into living spaces. It is affordable, durable and easy to install. So designers will keep noticing that.

Third, small studios that build their own work will attract clients who hate surprises. Those clients want details checked at full scale, with a hammer in hand.

House Extension at a Glance

ItemDetailProjectHouse With a Red AdditionStudioFacha architekti, PragueLocationNečín, Příbram region, Czech RepublicTimelineProject year 2021, completion 2025Original buildingSingle-storey pigsty with a weekend cabin on topPlot size515 m²Built-up area50 m² house, 26 m² extensionGross floor area154 m² house, 26 m² extensionUsable floor area107 m² house, 19 m² extensionExtension structureTimber with a ventilated facadeExtension exteriorRed corrugated metal sheetsExtension interiorPine plywoodOutdoor spaceWest-facing larch terrace with seating steps and a retractable textile awningHeatingAir-to-water heat pump and a rotating wood-burning stoveBuildersFacha architekti with the clientsFramework: Visible Layer TestNew volume differs in form and material from the old oneFramework: Footprint-to-Floor Gap52 percent more footprint, 18 percent more usable areaFramework: Build-Along DividendKnowledge a designer gains by building the work personally

Frequently Asked Quetions About This House Extension

Who designed House With a Red Addition?

Facha architekti, a Prague studio, designed it. The authors are Martin Chlanda, Andrea Sobotková, Matěj Nepustil, Jana Fischerová and Nikola Gronychová.

Where is the house?

It stands in Nečín, in the Příbram region of the Czech Republic.

What was the building before the renovation?

It began as a single-storey pigsty. Later, someone added a weekend cabin on top. Then the cabin gradually became a permanent home.

How big is the extension?

It covers 26 m² of built-up area and 26 m² of gross floor area. Meanwhile, its usable floor area is 19 m².

What is the extension made of?

A timber structure forms the frame. Red corrugated metal sheets clad the ventilated facade. Inside, pine plywood lines the interior.

Did the architects build it themselves?

Yes. They built the extension together with the clients, from the timber structure to the facade and interior linings.

What heats the house?

A new air-to-water heat pump supplies heat. Also, a rotating wood-burning stove sits in the interior.

All images © Peter Fabo. Architecture by Facha architekti (Martin Chlanda, Andrea Sobotková, Matěj Nepustil, Jana Fischerová, Nikola Gronychová).

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#architecture #CzechRepublic #FachaArchitekti #house #HouseExtension

A House Extension in Red Metal Lets a Czech Pigsty Cabin Keep Its History

This house extension refuses to disappear, and I think that is its smartest move. Facha architekti, a Prague studio, added 26 m² of red corrugated metal to a former pigsty in Nečín. Usually, architects hide the seam. These architects left it in plain sight.

The project carries the name House With a Red Addition. It stands in a village in the Příbram region of the Czech Republic. The design started in 2021, and the building reached completion in 2025. Peter Fabo photographed it.

This small house renovation deserves attention because owners outgrow small houses everywhere. I expect the question of how to extend a small house without erasing it to grow louder each year. Here, the architects offer a clear method. This article names that method and measures it.

House Extension by Facha architekti

What Makes a House Extension Honest?

An honest house extension shows its own age. A visitor can name the building’s eras without reading a plaque. I call this the Visible Layer Test. Overall, it has two conditions.

First, the new volume must differ in form from the old one. Second, it must differ in material. Beyond that, everything else is decoration.

Facha’s extension passes both. Meanwhile, the old house keeps its own history. The new volume arrives in timber and red metal. So nobody confuses the two.

Compare that with the usual approach. Many extensions copy the plaster color and roof pitch of the original. The standard defense is harmony. Instead, I call it forgery.

How Did a Pigsty Become a Family Home?

The site began as a single-storey pigsty. Later, someone built a simple weekend cabin on top. Over time, the cabin turned into a permanent home, and it kept visible traces of each stage.

Then the owners, a family of four and friends of the architects, ran out of room. The interior no longer gave them enough living space. Also, storage was scarce, and the link to the garden was weak.

The studio read this history as a design brief. The house had already grown by accretion. So the architects added one more layer and made it obvious.

The plot measures 515 m². The house sits at the edge of a larger village. Detached houses and former agricultural buildings surround it in a loose pattern. Even so, a pigsty fits right in.

Why Does Red Corrugated Metal Work on This House Extension?

The Material Case

The studio clad the extension in red corrugated metal sheets over a timber structure. A ventilated facade sits behind the sheets. Still, the reasoning for the extension was practical. The architects wanted a durable, affordable material that they could install themselves.

I like that logic. Corrugated metal belongs to the farm-shed family. Besides, it suits a site that began as a pigsty. So nobody needs to explain why the extension is there.

Here is my disputable view. A red metal box on a village house sounds crude on paper. Admittedly, plaster would feel safer. But safer would also feel dull, and this house is better than dull.

Besides, the studio also reroofed the original house with corrugated metal sheets. The press kit names no color for that roof. Still, the shared material gives both volumes a family resemblance without forcing a match.

The ventilated facade matters too. Air moves behind the metal skin, which protects the timber wall. Clearly, that is a quiet, sensible detail for a timber extension.

The Color Case

Why red? The press kit gives no explanation, so I will offer mine. Red marks the extension as new. Besides, it cannot pass for old paint or weathered boards. So the seam is impossible to miss.

Admittedly, a grey or galvanized finish would look quieter. Also, it would fade into the village. Red keeps the house extension honest.

What Does the Extension Do to the Floor Plan?

The extension enlarges the main living space toward the garden. A large west-facing sliding window opens the interior onto a larch terrace. Next, the terrace includes generous seating steps. A retractable textile awning shades it.

West light means strong evening sun. Besides, the awning handles the glare. That detail tells me someone thought about summer afternoons, not only about photographs.

The new volume also holds the relocated main entrance. In turn, that move freed the original layout. The architects used the space to enlarge the bathroom and redesign the kitchen. Built-in storage in the extension tackles the old shortage.

I rate the entrance move highest. At first, it looks minor. Yet it makes everything else possible.

What Happens Inside the Original House?

The basement and attic stayed largely untouched. Instead, the raised ground floor took the work. The crew insulated the house and fitted new timber windows from CADRE. Also, a new air-to-water heat pump now supplies heat.

Inside, custom-built pine plywood furniture fills the rooms. Natural linoleum covers the floor, specifically DLW Colorette by Gerflor. Meanwhile, the bathroom has cement-based plaster. A rotating wood-burning stove completes the list.

Pine plywood also lines the extension’s interior. I would pick it over white drywall every time here. After all, plywood shows its grain and its seams. That matches the honesty of the red exterior.

TON supplied the chairs and table, and Artemide supplied the lighting. Good choices, and nothing more to say.

The Footprint-to-Floor Gap

Numbers tell a sharper story about the extension. First, the house covers 50 m² of built-up area. Then the extension adds 26 m². So the footprint grows by 52 percent.

Gross floor area rises from 154 m² to 180 m², a gain of 17 percent. Usable floor area climbs from 107 m² to 126 m². In total, that is 18 percent more.

I call this the Footprint-to-Floor Gap. Put simply, it compares how much ground an extension covers with how much usable space it adds. Here, a 52 percent footprint increase buys an 18 percent gain in usable area.

Here, the reason is simple. After all, the old house stacks levels. The extension stays on one. So the gap looks wide, yet it misleads.

Now my thesis follows. A small house extension earns its place through rearrangement, not square meters. Nineteen usable square meters moved the entrance, the bathroom and the kitchen. Together, the two buildings cover 76 m² of a 515 m² plot, about 15 percent.

Why Build Your Own House Extension?

The studio built the extension itself, together with the clients. That covers the timber structure, the facade and the interior linings. The architects call direct involvement an integral part of their practice.

Next, they say it lets them realize details that contractors rarely handle on small, unconventional projects. Likewise, it feeds knowledge back into later work. They argue that theoretical education cannot replace that experience.

I call this the Build-Along Dividend. The designer who lifts the sheet metal learns what the drawing missed. Thus every later project collects the payout.

Skeptics will say architects should draw and contractors should build. Fair. But on odd, small jobs, suitable contractors are hard to find. So the studio picked up the tools.

Where Does This Small House Renovation Lead Next?

Here are three predictions. They are mine, not the studio’s.

First, I expect more owners to keep an old shell and add a plainly different extension. The Visible Layer Test gives them a rule they can defend at a kitchen table.

Second, corrugated metal will keep moving from sheds into living spaces. It is affordable, durable and easy to install. So designers will keep noticing that.

Third, small studios that build their own work will attract clients who hate surprises. Those clients want details checked at full scale, with a hammer in hand.

House Extension at a Glance

ItemDetailProjectHouse With a Red AdditionStudioFacha architekti, PragueLocationNečín, Příbram region, Czech RepublicTimelineProject year 2021, completion 2025Original buildingSingle-storey pigsty with a weekend cabin on topPlot size515 m²Built-up area50 m² house, 26 m² extensionGross floor area154 m² house, 26 m² extensionUsable floor area107 m² house, 19 m² extensionExtension structureTimber with a ventilated facadeExtension exteriorRed corrugated metal sheetsExtension interiorPine plywoodOutdoor spaceWest-facing larch terrace with seating steps and a retractable textile awningHeatingAir-to-water heat pump and a rotating wood-burning stoveBuildersFacha architekti with the clientsFramework: Visible Layer TestNew volume differs in form and material from the old oneFramework: Footprint-to-Floor Gap52 percent more footprint, 18 percent more usable areaFramework: Build-Along DividendKnowledge a designer gains by building the work personally

Frequently Asked Quetions About This House Extension

Who designed House With a Red Addition?

Facha architekti, a Prague studio, designed it. The authors are Martin Chlanda, Andrea Sobotková, Matěj Nepustil, Jana Fischerová and Nikola Gronychová.

Where is the house?

It stands in Nečín, in the Příbram region of the Czech Republic.

What was the building before the renovation?

It began as a single-storey pigsty. Later, someone added a weekend cabin on top. Then the cabin gradually became a permanent home.

How big is the extension?

It covers 26 m² of built-up area and 26 m² of gross floor area. Meanwhile, its usable floor area is 19 m².

What is the extension made of?

A timber structure forms the frame. Red corrugated metal sheets clad the ventilated facade. Inside, pine plywood lines the interior.

Did the architects build it themselves?

Yes. They built the extension together with the clients, from the timber structure to the facade and interior linings.

What heats the house?

A new air-to-water heat pump supplies heat. Also, a rotating wood-burning stove sits in the interior.

All images © Peter Fabo. Architecture by Facha architekti (Martin Chlanda, Andrea Sobotková, Matěj Nepustil, Jana Fischerová, Nikola Gronychová).

Subscribe to our newsletter!

#architecture #CzechRepublic #FachaArchitekti #house #HouseExtension

A House Extension in Red Metal Lets a Czech Pigsty Cabin Keep Its History

This house extension refuses to disappear, and I think that is its smartest move. Facha architekti, a Prague studio, added 26 m² of red corrugated metal to a former pigsty in Nečín. Usually, architects hide the seam. These architects left it in plain sight.

The project carries the name House With a Red Addition. It stands in a village in the Příbram region of the Czech Republic. The design started in 2021, and the building reached completion in 2025. Peter Fabo photographed it.

This small house renovation deserves attention because owners outgrow small houses everywhere. I expect the question of how to extend a small house without erasing it to grow louder each year. Here, the architects offer a clear method. This article names that method and measures it.

House Extension by Facha architekti

What Makes a House Extension Honest?

An honest house extension shows its own age. A visitor can name the building’s eras without reading a plaque. I call this the Visible Layer Test. Overall, it has two conditions.

First, the new volume must differ in form from the old one. Second, it must differ in material. Beyond that, everything else is decoration.

Facha’s extension passes both. Meanwhile, the old house keeps its own history. The new volume arrives in timber and red metal. So nobody confuses the two.

Compare that with the usual approach. Many extensions copy the plaster color and roof pitch of the original. The standard defense is harmony. Instead, I call it forgery.

How Did a Pigsty Become a Family Home?

The site began as a single-storey pigsty. Later, someone built a simple weekend cabin on top. Over time, the cabin turned into a permanent home, and it kept visible traces of each stage.

Then the owners, a family of four and friends of the architects, ran out of room. The interior no longer gave them enough living space. Also, storage was scarce, and the link to the garden was weak.

The studio read this history as a design brief. The house had already grown by accretion. So the architects added one more layer and made it obvious.

The plot measures 515 m². The house sits at the edge of a larger village. Detached houses and former agricultural buildings surround it in a loose pattern. Even so, a pigsty fits right in.

Why Does Red Corrugated Metal Work on This House Extension?

The Material Case

The studio clad the extension in red corrugated metal sheets over a timber structure. A ventilated facade sits behind the sheets. Still, the reasoning for the extension was practical. The architects wanted a durable, affordable material that they could install themselves.

I like that logic. Corrugated metal belongs to the farm-shed family. Besides, it suits a site that began as a pigsty. So nobody needs to explain why the extension is there.

Here is my disputable view. A red metal box on a village house sounds crude on paper. Admittedly, plaster would feel safer. But safer would also feel dull, and this house is better than dull.

Besides, the studio also reroofed the original house with corrugated metal sheets. The press kit names no color for that roof. Still, the shared material gives both volumes a family resemblance without forcing a match.

The ventilated facade matters too. Air moves behind the metal skin, which protects the timber wall. Clearly, that is a quiet, sensible detail for a timber extension.

The Color Case

Why red? The press kit gives no explanation, so I will offer mine. Red marks the extension as new. Besides, it cannot pass for old paint or weathered boards. So the seam is impossible to miss.

Admittedly, a grey or galvanized finish would look quieter. Also, it would fade into the village. Red keeps the house extension honest.

What Does the Extension Do to the Floor Plan?

The extension enlarges the main living space toward the garden. A large west-facing sliding window opens the interior onto a larch terrace. Next, the terrace includes generous seating steps. A retractable textile awning shades it.

West light means strong evening sun. Besides, the awning handles the glare. That detail tells me someone thought about summer afternoons, not only about photographs.

The new volume also holds the relocated main entrance. In turn, that move freed the original layout. The architects used the space to enlarge the bathroom and redesign the kitchen. Built-in storage in the extension tackles the old shortage.

I rate the entrance move highest. At first, it looks minor. Yet it makes everything else possible.

What Happens Inside the Original House?

The basement and attic stayed largely untouched. Instead, the raised ground floor took the work. The crew insulated the house and fitted new timber windows from CADRE. Also, a new air-to-water heat pump now supplies heat.

Inside, custom-built pine plywood furniture fills the rooms. Natural linoleum covers the floor, specifically DLW Colorette by Gerflor. Meanwhile, the bathroom has cement-based plaster. A rotating wood-burning stove completes the list.

Pine plywood also lines the extension’s interior. I would pick it over white drywall every time here. After all, plywood shows its grain and its seams. That matches the honesty of the red exterior.

TON supplied the chairs and table, and Artemide supplied the lighting. Good choices, and nothing more to say.

The Footprint-to-Floor Gap

Numbers tell a sharper story about the extension. First, the house covers 50 m² of built-up area. Then the extension adds 26 m². So the footprint grows by 52 percent.

Gross floor area rises from 154 m² to 180 m², a gain of 17 percent. Usable floor area climbs from 107 m² to 126 m². In total, that is 18 percent more.

I call this the Footprint-to-Floor Gap. Put simply, it compares how much ground an extension covers with how much usable space it adds. Here, a 52 percent footprint increase buys an 18 percent gain in usable area.

Here, the reason is simple. After all, the old house stacks levels. The extension stays on one. So the gap looks wide, yet it misleads.

Now my thesis follows. A small house extension earns its place through rearrangement, not square meters. Nineteen usable square meters moved the entrance, the bathroom and the kitchen. Together, the two buildings cover 76 m² of a 515 m² plot, about 15 percent.

Why Build Your Own House Extension?

The studio built the extension itself, together with the clients. That covers the timber structure, the facade and the interior linings. The architects call direct involvement an integral part of their practice.

Next, they say it lets them realize details that contractors rarely handle on small, unconventional projects. Likewise, it feeds knowledge back into later work. They argue that theoretical education cannot replace that experience.

I call this the Build-Along Dividend. The designer who lifts the sheet metal learns what the drawing missed. Thus every later project collects the payout.

Skeptics will say architects should draw and contractors should build. Fair. But on odd, small jobs, suitable contractors are hard to find. So the studio picked up the tools.

Where Does This Small House Renovation Lead Next?

Here are three predictions. They are mine, not the studio’s.

First, I expect more owners to keep an old shell and add a plainly different extension. The Visible Layer Test gives them a rule they can defend at a kitchen table.

Second, corrugated metal will keep moving from sheds into living spaces. It is affordable, durable and easy to install. So designers will keep noticing that.

Third, small studios that build their own work will attract clients who hate surprises. Those clients want details checked at full scale, with a hammer in hand.

House Extension at a Glance

ItemDetailProjectHouse With a Red AdditionStudioFacha architekti, PragueLocationNečín, Příbram region, Czech RepublicTimelineProject year 2021, completion 2025Original buildingSingle-storey pigsty with a weekend cabin on topPlot size515 m²Built-up area50 m² house, 26 m² extensionGross floor area154 m² house, 26 m² extensionUsable floor area107 m² house, 19 m² extensionExtension structureTimber with a ventilated facadeExtension exteriorRed corrugated metal sheetsExtension interiorPine plywoodOutdoor spaceWest-facing larch terrace with seating steps and a retractable textile awningHeatingAir-to-water heat pump and a rotating wood-burning stoveBuildersFacha architekti with the clientsFramework: Visible Layer TestNew volume differs in form and material from the old oneFramework: Footprint-to-Floor Gap52 percent more footprint, 18 percent more usable areaFramework: Build-Along DividendKnowledge a designer gains by building the work personally

Frequently Asked Quetions About This House Extension

Who designed House With a Red Addition?

Facha architekti, a Prague studio, designed it. The authors are Martin Chlanda, Andrea Sobotková, Matěj Nepustil, Jana Fischerová and Nikola Gronychová.

Where is the house?

It stands in Nečín, in the Příbram region of the Czech Republic.

What was the building before the renovation?

It began as a single-storey pigsty. Later, someone added a weekend cabin on top. Then the cabin gradually became a permanent home.

How big is the extension?

It covers 26 m² of built-up area and 26 m² of gross floor area. Meanwhile, its usable floor area is 19 m².

What is the extension made of?

A timber structure forms the frame. Red corrugated metal sheets clad the ventilated facade. Inside, pine plywood lines the interior.

Did the architects build it themselves?

Yes. They built the extension together with the clients, from the timber structure to the facade and interior linings.

What heats the house?

A new air-to-water heat pump supplies heat. Also, a rotating wood-burning stove sits in the interior.

All images © Peter Fabo. Architecture by Facha architekti (Martin Chlanda, Andrea Sobotková, Matěj Nepustil, Jana Fischerová, Nikola Gronychová).

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