There?s a saying in the design world that there are three kinds of services: good, fast and cheap. Clients can pick two of those, but the intersection of all three doesn?t exist. If it?s good and cheap, it won?t be fast; if it?s good and fast, it won?t be cheap, and so on. This holds true almost universally – because when designers are truly talented enough to pull off superior work quickly, they deserve to be paid more for it. But could there be an exception in the world of architecture, without asking anyone to work for free" Possibly.
There?s a sweet spot at the intersection of modularity, prefabrication, innovative materials and creativity where inexpensive, modern, livable dwellings that can be built quickly at a reasonable price point could reside. Often, that means owner-builders designing and constructing cabins or tiny houses using salvaged materials and their own unpaid labor, but it doesn?t have to. This ?Zen Houses? project stands as one example. Set on a grassy field outside Liberec, Czech Republic, ?Zen Houses? is a pair of identical structures, one serving as a home and the other a studio. This live/work arrangement allows for visual connection with spatial separation, ideal for anyone who works remotely or owns a small business and needs privacy and quiet to concentrate. But it?s easy to imagine them serving as individual housing units, too, with green courtyards creating common social spaces between them.
Petr Stolín Architect takes ins...