Na Kukačkách Mountain Chalet by Edit!
Na Kukačkách Mountain Chalet sits in Strážné, Czech Republic, where Edit! rethinks the familiar mountain house as a clear, contemporary volume rooted in local rules. The chalet follows strict Krkonoše regional guidelines yet shifts attention indoors, arranging bright rooms around tall timber structure and large glazing tied to the surrounding landscape. Mountain typology, modern prefabrication, and day-to-day comfort meet in a compact retreat built for demanding terrain.
Steep ground falls away from the stone plinth as the chalet meets the slope, its gable roof cutting a familiar outline against the Krkonoše sky. Inside, exposed timber planes, tall glazing, and a double-height living area draw daylight through the volume and bring the surrounding forest and meadows into constant view.
Na Kukačkách Mountain Chalet is a compact mountain chalet in Strážné, Czech Republic, planned and realised by Edit! as a contemporary reading of Krkonoše architecture. External form, gable geometry, and the stone-and-timber palette answer strict regional and national park regulations, yet the interior pursues clarity, light, and generous connections between levels. The project concentrates on how a regulated shell, prefabricated CLT panels, and targeted glazing can produce a home that feels open, robust, and precise.
Reframing A Regulated Shell
Local rules fix the volume, gables, and materials, so the architects work within a narrow envelope rather than pushing against it. Traditional stone forms the plinth, timber clads the upper levels, and the roof keeps a familiar pitch that reads instantly as a Krkonoše mountain house. Instead of chasing novelty outside, the project focuses on proportion and detail, allowing the regulated silhouette to sit quietly in the landscape.
Carving Light Into The Interior
Typical regional buildings often hide under heavy roofs, leaving interiors cramped and dim despite the open hills around them. Here, Edit! treats daylight as structure, cutting large-format glazing into the side façades where regulations grant more freedom. One side opens the main living area to the countryside, and another anchors a summer entrance that keeps circulation clear and bright. Together with controlled gable windows, these cuts frame long views rather than scattering small openings.
Vertical Connection In Timber
Because gable windows must stay modest, the architects turn to section instead of façade to deepen the interior. A vertical connection links ground floor and roof, forming a gallery that overlooks the living area and pulls the eye up to the exposed structure. This double-height volume gathers light from several directions and releases warm air upward, so the main room feels airy without losing a sense of enclosure. The gallery also adds a lived-in edge to the void, where movement above balances the stillness below.
Prefabricated CLT As Structure And Finish
The steep terrain and short building season demand a quick, robust method, which leads the team to prefabricated CLT panels. Panels arrive cut to size, lift into place on the reinforced-concrete plinth, and form structural walls and floors within weeks instead of months. Exposed-quality timber from 3AE stands as both structure and interior finish, so no extra cladding hides the grain or complicates the build. Large openings and continuous volumes benefit from CLT’s stiffness, which allows wide spans and clean junctions that conventional masonry would struggle to match on this site.
Building With Local Knowledge
Edit! works under a Design & Build arrangement, tightening the link between drawings, engineering, and on-site sequencing. Collaboration with local contractor Registav grounds those decisions in the realities of mountain weather, from access on steep roads to the narrow construction window. Shared planning around panel delivery and installation reduces exposure to sudden storms and keeps the timber shell dry at critical moments. Process and form move together, so the final chalet reads as one clear construction story rather than a set of compromises.
As the seasons turn over the Krkonoše slopes, the chalet holds to its stone base and timber skin while light moves across the CLT interior. Rooms stay compact but connected, stitched together by the gallery, glazing, and consistent material grain. The house stands as a measured example of how regulated mountain building can still feel direct, open, and tuned to everyday use.
Photography by BoysPlayNice
Visit Edit!
