Devil`s Burden Golf Club

The golf course of ‘Devil’s Burden’ (Certovo bremeno) was created as a result of a desire to put into order the neglected landscape around the old farmhouse of the owners of the property. It was clear that the concept of the new golf club would have to move into the direction of creating a complete symbiosis with its natural surroundings. That was not an easy task as its program was far from modest. At the same time the whole building had to be designed very economically so that on working days its public areas could be served by only one person, who had an overview of the entire space, while during weekends and large events it could comfortably accommodate up to 200 people. The building is built under a gentle grassy hill, whose southern side is cut and glazed and offers a view of the gentle valley with a pond. The earth layer covering the building provides its natural high performance insulation from cold and heat. Boreholes with thermal heatpumps provide both heating and cooling of its air from the temperature of the earth.

Another borehole is used as a source of fresh water, which is then returned to the cycle of the landscape after cleansing. In dialogue with the local landscape and its materials are the many natural materials that were used for the construction of the building and which have direct influence on the building’s form. The encounter between masters of ancient handcrafts and masters of modern high-speed construction in this project was a very refreshing moment that proved that this cooperation is possible. All of us who worked on this building found much joy in doing so, and we hope that it will serve its owners.