Kamil Mrva founded his firm in 1998, and the five-strong studio collaborates when necessary with other architects and engineers. Mrva himself studied architecture at Brno’s Technical University, before fusing his love of the work of Frank Lloyd Wright and his skill at woodworking into architectural practice. Today, his team works on a variety of scales without losing sight of details and craft. Their very site-specific approach builds on the traditional architecture of the region, and the stock palette of wood, glass, concrete and brick is carefully manipulated so as not to overpower its surroundings.
Buildings
Family house reconstruction, Koprivnice, 2005
Designs like the Mikulov House concept take the local vernacular as their starting point, using pitched roofs but simplified surfaces and over-scaled openings to increase the relationship between house and site. Another proposal, the Kojetin House near Novy Jicin, threads new accommodation through the remains of an existing structure. Budget considerations are paramount, with the office unafraid of getting involved physically in the construction of a new larch-clad house for Mrva’s own brother. Other reconstructions are more extensive, such as the office and showroom for the UAX clothing company in Bernartice nad Odrou. This wood-clad box is an enhanced and extended version of the original structure, with the emphasis on natural, rough-edged materials and crisp edges, reflecting the down-to-earth attitude and day- to-day needs of the business itself.
INFORMATION
Address
Záhumenní 1358
742 21 Koprivnice, Czech Republic
Telephone
420.556 811 850
- Website
- http://www.mrva.net
