Not so long ago, this was Státenice, a sleepy hamlet of 300 people just north of Horoměřice, some 15 kilometers (9 miles) from Prague.

Now, after a one-of-a-kind development by Ireland's Ballymore Properties, this formerly dilapidated old village is being transformed into Státenický mlýn, or mill — an inspired, if expensive, experiment in modern urban living consisting of 58 apartments and townhouses and 32 luxury villas, all being constructed in two phases.

How many developments can boast their own town square, lake, stream, shops, restaurants, apartments and townhouses, all in the center of a quaint villageř

That's what architects like Ian Bryan, from the United Kingdom, have managed to do. Bryan's architectural firm, Ian Bryan Architects, is designing the 58 apartments and town houses for the Státenický mlýn development.

Starting next year, when Státenický mlýn is complete, the village of Státnenice will have a high-quality development set in 26 hectares (64.3 acres) of manicured estate — all laid out to fit in seamlessly with a traditional village, in which the center and infrastructure have been tastefully redone to include a new town hall and post office, a graceful fountain and plenty of green spaces. In the park will be an ornamental lake with a restaurant in the style of an old Czech mill.

Lída Barbier, residential manager of the project, says Státenický mlýn is an unusual creation not only because of the quality but also because of the social network being built there.

"It is not outside but exactly in the middle of the village," she says.

The project includes a main square built around a complex of luxury apartments and villas. Nearby there is a Paris-style patisserie, coffee shop, florist, day-care center and health and beauty spa. There's also a waterside restaurant along picturesque Únětický Creek, which wends its way through the lush green valley in which Státnenice is situated.

Drawing inspiration from the UK

Ballymore currently has 28 developments under way in the United Kingdom, Ireland and Central Europe, including the massive riverfront Eurovea complex in Bratislava and the redevelopment of major city-center railway stations in Liverpool, Birmingham and Bristol. Formed in 1982, the firm prides itself on developing city-center locations that combine technical excellence with economic sustainability and social responsibility.

Ballymore is also well-known for its work in regenerating the waterfront along London's storied Thames.

And the firm's developments in Prague seem to draw inspiration from its recent New Providence Wharf in London, for which the company won awards for its work combining retail, commercial and leisure facilities while maintaining an abundance of public space.

Andrew Covill, head of sales and marketing for Ballymore, says mixing luxury living within a village is what sets Státenický mlýn apart.

"Our ability to combine traditional, contemporary and avant-garde design in our residential developments, together with lifestyle-enhancing components such as spas, retail and kindergartens is the key to our success," he says.

The most exclusive addresses at Státenický mlýa will be those of the 32 planned luxury villas.

Ranging between 180 square meters (1,900 square feet) for three-bedroom villas to 360 square meters for five-bedroom luxury villas, the homes were designed by Lewis and Hickey, an international architectural firm with a Prague portfolio that includes the interiors at the Corinthia Towers Hotel and shop spaces for Mango on Na Příkopě and at Office Park in Nové Butovice.

The homes pay homage to the First Republic functionalist style of the 1920s, with sharp geometric shapes and extensive floor-to-ceiling windows.

The interiors were created by Carter Tyberghein, an acclaimed London design firm that has lent its imaginative touch to several cutting-edge residential developments there. The interiors include custom kitchens, stainless steel appliances and marble counters.

The walls and floors of the main bathrooms are clad in natural stone. There are also limed oak wash stands with twin hand basins, and free-standing bathtubs.

The attention to detail can also be seen in engineered oak floors, cutting-edge lighting and space arrangements. Large living areas with sliding walls of glass lead to wooden decks and gardens on lots that measure between 690 and 1,800 square meters. Villas also have studies with fireplaces and garages for one or two cars.

Needless to say, the prices of these villas are not cheap. Three-bedrooms start at about 10 million Kč ($455,632), four-bedrooms at 16 million Kč and five-bedrooms at 19 million Kč.

More affordable options

Is Státenický mlyn strictly for the richř Not necessarily, says Bryan, the British architect.

The 58 apartments and town houses he's working on, which range from studios to luxury flats, will be more affordable, he says. And he feels certain that all kinds of people will be attracted to them.

The townhouses and apartments will primarily attract people who wish to enjoy the development's environmental benefits, says Bryan. They'll like the quality of air, greenery and immediate access to the countryside that comes with living in a village. The apartments have generous, functional layouts and French windows that offer plenty of light. Some of the apartments have spacious wood-inlaid terraces with park views.

Státenický mlyn's luxury villas, half of which have been built, went on sale in late June. So far, three have been sold, Ballymore says. The apartments and town houses are scheduled to go on sale in October.

Location, of course, is a key selling point. Státenice is a just down the road from Horoměřice. A 20-minute drive to Prague's city center, it's about 8 kilometers from the Prague International School in Nebušice, the Riverside School in Sedlec and Ruzyně Airport.

It's also located in a green valley with clean air offering an abundance of outdoor activities, such as cycling and hiking. There are also football fields, tennis courts and even a putting green. And the challenging golf course in Beřovice, near Slaný, soon to be expanded to 18 holes, is only about a 20-minute drive to the north.

Solving a problem

Being an architect, Bryan insists that design is what truly makes the development stand out on the real estate market in Prague, where he settled in 1994 simply for the opportunity to work in such a beautiful city.

Since then, he has done work for clients including Bloomberg News, Jones Lang Lasalle in Myslbek Palace, the British Embassy and Česky Mobil–Oskar.

"I think the Prague real estate market is quite similar now to that of the United Kingdom in terms of commercial and residential activity, although the residential emphasis is on apartments rather than houses," Bryan says. "Prague is also a unique historical city with development restrictions that cannot be compared with most British cities.

There is one thing that peeves him — a problem he says Státenický mlyn helps solve. It's difficult to find well-designed modern houses in Prague, whether they are detached, semidetached or town houses.