The designers’ task was to create a comfortable house in the highly urbanized and spatially disordered suburbs of Warsaw. The plot of land is surrounded by all the types of buildings, such as detached houses, semi-detached houses, terraced houses and small multi-family buildings in a variety of forms and architectural styles. The basic assumption was to design a simple, understandable form in the surrounding chaos, and at the same time bold enough to meet the aesthetic needs of the client.
Studio Name: Z3Z ARCHITEKCI
Design Team: Mateusz Zajkowski, Agnieszka Grądkiewicz, Agata Rakowska
Area: 400m2
Year: 2017
Location: Masovian Voivodeship, Poland
Consultants: –
Photography Credits: Marcin Mularczyk
Other Credits: –
Two simple cuboidal forms were created, one on top of the other, that differ significantly from each other. The upper one is entirely covered with timber, also from the bottom, on the external and internal ceiling of the ground floor. The white form, situated below the wooden one, has cut-outs in several places. Every time we cut the white shell of the body of the building, a contrasting grey centre appears in the recessed elements – on the terrace, at the entrance, in the window glyphs. As if you cut an apple in half you notice the clear difference between the skin and the inside of the fruit.
At the beginning of designing process, the architects situated a single storey cuboidal shape on the empty plot. It was placed as close as possible to the north eastern border of the plot creating a spacious and sunny recreational garden in the south western part of the land. The living area, which consists of a kitchen, a dining room, a spacious living room, an office room and a terrace, is located in the white “block” overlooking the garden.
The second step was to put a wooden block on top of the white one, creating a space for all the bedrooms. Its shape is elongated so that the exposure to the sun could be as high as possible for all the rooms. The upper element is situated along the north eastern side of the lower one in order to allocate space for a terrace and a covered entrance area with a parking space in front of the building.
Afterwards, the ground floor terrace was recessed in the body of the building providing a sunlight from desirable directions (south and west) as well as highly needed intimacy in such a densely built-up area. The second cut-out forms an empty space in front of the building, covered by the wooden upper shape, creating a comfortable entrance zone, and a sheltered parking space outside a garage.
The last step was to make a cutting in the ground next to the south eastern corner of the white shape of the house. This allowed to insert full height windows in the basement, so that the gym located under the ground could be a fully functional, well-lit room. Besides, it ensured a connection between the garden and the basement. This part of the building rests on the pillars distant from its corner in order to create an impression of levitating in the air. The corner panes in the basement are joined together only with a sealing glue.
The basic assumption of designing simple, cuboidal solids has been completed by contrasting all the right angles of the building with the spiral staircase shaped like a ribbon, leading from the basement to the first floor of the house. One of the client’s biggest wishes were the unique stairs as a showcase of the house. In the very centre of the house, there is a form that catches the eye and stands out from everything around, but at the same remains in full harmony with the interior. All the elements, including the stairs were finished using only one type of timber, which makes the design consistent and elegant. Also, all the railings both inside and outside of the building, were made entirely of glass and without additional handles. During the design process, a particular attention was paid to the purity of forms and materials.
About Studio:
Z3Z ARCHITEKCI is a studio gathering architects who are guided by the assumption that each new project is a new challenge and a chance to create something different and unique. Something that will bring professional satisfaction and develop architectural passions.
A harmonious team of the studio is ready to take on any topic. They have already made designs of service and commercial buildings, laboratories, hotels and residential buildings. However, the architects has specialized primarily in the design of upscale houses.
The studio offers comprehensive services in the field of architecture. The activity of the office is based on many years of experience of the architects as well as strong creative skills and a fresh approach to design.
