This is a new project by the MEEKO studio. The house for two families was designed near Warsaw. It is a wooded plot in the vicinity of the Mazowiecki Landscape Park. The densely wooded area consists mainly of pine forests, and the Świder river meandering among them is a characteristic element of the Otwock landscape.
The architects designed the building in the form of twin barns. The attraction of the place is the forest landscape, which brings to mind the historical sanatoriums maintained in the style of the Świder River, which are characterised by light wooden construction, rich wood carving ornaments and multifaceted verandas facing the forest. It was on these verandas that patients rested and inhaled the healthy pine air of the surrounding spas.
Finding the right location for the building, due to the large number of trees, proved to be quite a challenge. With minimal interference with the trees, the designed house was integrated centrally into the plot. The building form is based on a compact rectangular plan, acting as a plinth. The first floor, however, is distinguished by two symmetrically located, twin (twin) blocks in the form of barns with gable roofs with a slope angle of 42 degrees. The space between them is connected by a short link, which is finished with panels of laminated glass coated with a metallic coating with high reflective qualities. This treatment lends lightness to the connection and the disappearance of its presence in the forest context , the project’s authors describe.
A visible treatment in the ground floor of the building is the undercutting of the niche in the front elevation, which emphasises and covers the main entrance to the building and the garage entrance. The total height of the building to the ridge is approximately 8.74 m.
Be.Twin House near Warsaw provides a complete utility programme for future users, satisfying their residential needs, housekeeping needs and a place to work. Each of the building blocks assumes a different functional zone. In the centre of the house is an open staircase connecting the ground floor with the ground floor.
The layout of the rooms and the glazing are designed to provide the best possible contact with the environment, but also to ensure adequate sunlight. The terrace from the living area is composed in the form of an ‘L’ that extends to the end of the kitchen, thus inviting a connection with the ‘coffee terrace’ section under a wooden pergola that serves as a light canopy complementing the form of the house. A distinctive feature of the house are the two terraces accessible from the link, which allow for a moment of relaxation surrounded by trees. This is a direct reference to the verandas of the Świdermajers, where one can inhale in the local microclimate, called ‘mahogany air’ by the locals.
Be.Twin House has its own original character thanks to the consistent colour scheme of the timber facade finish. The individual facades are composed according to the principle of symmetry, using subtle details. The ground floor is clad in warm, natural-coloured boarding in a vertical pattern, echoing the colour of the bark of mature pine trees. The dark grey twin barns on the first floor are finished with brushed and tan boards in the Shou Sugi Ban technique in a vertical arrangement. This solution strongly emphasises their function, which, combined with the finishing of the pitched roofs with flat sheets joined by standing seam in anthracite, create a defined barn archetype. A distinctive complement is the gable wall solution in the form of slightly overhanging frames with large glazing and infills with a simple ornament in the form of vertical wooden fins. Aluminium window joinery with large glazings reflects the natural forest surroundings and thus guarantees an adequate amount of daylight entering the house.
The designed house near Warsaw is an example of sustainable architecture in terms of energy-efficient and ecological construction.
Through the functional and spatial solutions used, the house is expressive and distinctive. The combination of natural materials with homely warmth emanating from the large windows, the fusion of simplicity of form with subtle detailing, and the blend of tradition and modernity create a coherent whole.
design: MEEKO Architects
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