PROJECT: 2016 r.

REALIZATION: 2016-17 r.

FOT. SZYMON POLAŃSKI

This house was designed to be a place where the owners could enjoy being in nature during the warm months and escape from the grey, depressing views of the city in winter. It was therefore crucial to let in as much natural light as possible and to make the line between inside and outside as seamless as possible.

The layout is simple – four cuboids, two of which make an L shape, the third is a pool area and the fourth makes up the first floor over the long arm of the L.

The side of the building facing outside, towards the street, has very few windows in order to protect the privacy of the owners. In contrast, the side facing an intimate garden patio is almost all windows – this space is completely private.

A decidedly distinguishing feature of the project is the concrete façade, which is designed to imitate a curtain. The concrete, made to look soft and pliant, wraps around the building like a ribbon and seamlessly connects to the actual curtains hanging in the windows.

Concrete is conventionally thought of as a heavy material that brings to mind unfinished construction sites. This project utilizes it to, ironically, make the house appear lighter.

The ribbon of concrete is 350 cm in height. We initially wanted it to in single sheets but, unfortunately, this proved technologically impossible. Each sheet was split in two 175 cm pieces.

The entire house is a kind of art gallery. The living area deserves special attention – at 370 cm the living room has very high ceilings and was designed to display the owner’s art collection. The house also includes a pool room, which is accessible directly from the living room. An important part of the concept was that the ground floor areas should overlap and interpenetrate in interesting ways. You can see the pool from the living room through a big window under the stairs