Archizoom – MA Studio
Who, what, when and where? MA Studio consists of a team of architects, designers and digital developers engaged in designing buildings from construction to completion and researching new solutions in architectural practice.
The full article is available on Archizoom.
They work on family and apartment buildings, smaller residential complexes and are currently engaged in the conversion of the industrial area of the Brunka factory in Humpolec. The studio has experience in designing the interiors of the Chapeau Rouge music club, the Koule bistro or the Point bar. Within these projects, the architects always managed to achieve not only high-quality reconstructions, but also to create a visual-spatial experience in the form of working with light and lighting effects, to create in cooperation with audiovisual artists.
Another area that MA Studio, as one of the few studios in the Czech Republic, deals with is architectural design in the metaverse, i.e. in a virtual 3D environment.
“This new way of designing has a dynamic development ahead of it, and we want to be there. Soon, it will become commonplace to present projects to investors, manufacturers will sell and present their products, and people will meet without the need to travel halfway across the globe, something that has been significantly affected by the ongoing covid epidemic. The advantage of this environment is that there are no laws of physics or design constraints in it, so it is up to the specific user to choose ways to physically design into virtual reality for the entertainment needs of a real project, or to create a completely new digital world for purpose, investment or marketing,” explain the architects.
What projects have they implemented in the real world?
Authors of the proposal: Ing. arch. Dan Merta, Ing. arch. David Lukas, Anna Mertová, Matyáš Merta // Studio MA; Ing. arch. Robert Hubička // AARH
Year of completion: 2021
Location: Prague-Letná
The Koule Bistro/bar reconstruction project was determined by two moments: the attractive location of the space located on the ground floor of the building in a block of flats on the busy Milady Horáková street in Prague 7, and the concept of a bistro and bar focused on the preparation of cheese dishes with a varied range of drinks. The design of the interior is based on the original solution, which the architects adapted to the layout mainly in connection with the newly created areas of the kitchen and toilet facilities for customers.
The entrance area with a contrasting bar made of black perforated sheet color follows the chairs and other details such as doors, table legs and air conditioning. The reconstruction unified the spaces and, thanks to the lighting elements, offers visitors not only a gastronomic but also a visual experience.
The initial intention was to unify the areas in neutral colors, both the floor and the light walls, which in some places admit the original materiality. The architects emphasized the light, which can change in the premises depending on the part of the day or the current atmosphere.
In cooperation with the artist Marko Šilpoch, they placed significant light installations in individual rooms. Their programmable control system enables control of the intensity and color of individual light sources, which go from more intimate shades to more expressive color combinations. The intention of this solution was the possibility to change the atmosphere in the interior towards the street.
Authors of the proposal: Ing. arch. Dan Merta, Ing. arch. David Lukas
Year of completion: 2021
Location: Litomyšl
The villa is located on a plot with a slight slope in the new development of Litomyšl. The basic idea of the house is three masses – the ground floor, the second floor and the carport. By connecting these three units, the final L-shaped ground plan mass with roof overhangs was created. It is layout-oriented and open towards the garden. The entire south wing of the house consists of a large living room with a kitchen connected to the outdoor terrace.
The north wing consists of an outdoor shed and attached garage, while the west residential wing consists of two rooms and a bathroom. A centrally located staircase serves all floors. In the underground floor, the authors of the proposal placed storage areas and technical rooms.
The house is based on a reinforced concrete base plate. The load-bearing perimeter ceramic masonry supports the prefabricated reinforced concrete ceiling structure above the living room. The second floor is roofed by wooden trusses. For the windows, the architects chose a combination of natural wood and aluminum in a dark shade. From the outside, they match the mood of the facade, and their wooden surface completes the bright interior.
Authors of the proposal: Ing. architect Dan Merta, B.Sc. Kristýna Štérbová
Studies: 2021
Implementation: 2022–2024
Location: Hájek
The new residential building can be found in the western part of the village of Hájek near Uhříněvsi. It is a group of semi-detached houses, which the authors of the proposal divided into two units in order to achieve sufficient natural lighting and at the same time privacy for each house. There are a total of nine family houses located in two rows on the property. The houses in the row are always connected by a green roof, which serves as a parking shelter. Thanks to parking outside public spaces, a welcoming street space is created that is optimal for establishing social relationships and interactions.
Within the plot, the architects designed a small green space with a seating area where neighbors from the surrounding area can meet. Three two-story family houses with gable roofs have their place at the northern border of the plot. There are six semi-detached houses on the southern part of the property. Each of these pairs has a roof structure between them providing a covered parking space and an entrance to the building.
Authors of the proposal: Ing. architect David Lukas, Anna Ševcová and Matyáš Merta
Year completed: 2018
Location: Prague, Betlémské náměstí
The building in which the architects designed the reconstruction of the interior is part of the grounds of the Bethlehem Chapel in the Old Town. The authors of the proposal transformed the ground floor of this National Cultural Monument for the functioning of a bar, a gallery and a preparation room for the production of smaller meals. The architects were based on the original historical layout, i.e. three rooms in the front part, which are now used for the operation of the bar, and a room in the rear part of the layout converted to the operation of the kitchen, guest toilets, storage and cleaning chamber.
The architects approached the interior with maximum sensitivity and emphasis on preserving its historical value and genia loci. They removed the modern partitions and screens of non-original paving. However, they kept all the original structures, especially the wooden beam ceiling in the main room and all the vertical structures, including the unique hatch to the side room.
They used metal and expanded metal as the main material, from which they created a bar, wall structures with shelves behind the bar, niche fillings and radiator covers in the back part of the layout. The metal elements are complemented by furniture in a dark color, and the atmosphere is completed by a set of programmable lights throughout the interior, including handmade lights in the lounge by XYZ project.
Authors of the proposal: Ing. arch. Dan Merta, Ing. arch. Barbora Frysová, Bc. Sebastian Trapl
Studies: 2021
Implementation: 2022-2023
Location: Ondřejov
On a slightly sloping plot of land on the outskirts of the village of Ondřejov near Prague, on the site of the original bungalow, a two-story family house with a view of the Sázava river valley will be built. The architects partially wove the building into the terrain. The day rooms were oriented towards the valley and the view from them opens up over the entire garden. The design of the house is determined by the composition of the boxes, whose material differences form the basic concept of the facade.
The house has two apartments. The larger of the apartments is intended for the owner of the house and his family. On the ground floor we find a living room with a kitchen and dining room, children’s rooms, a study and technical facilities. The authors of the proposal placed the entrance to the house on the second floor, where there is also a parents’ zone and a second smaller apartment unit with a layout of 2+kk, in which the owner’s mother will live.
