A house is often a reflection of the personality and aspirations of its owners, and not just the work of an architect or a reflection of current trends. It should fit into the spatial and cultural context and co-create a positive atmosphere with the inhabitants. This is precisely the aim of the project in Skoszewy on which architects from the Raczko Kokoszkiewicz office are working. The rural residence is being built for a young couple who asked the studio to design their dream home.
The investors initially wanted to buy an already finished house designed by the architects in Warszewice near Stryków. It was a large brick building, ideally suited to the owners’ needs. However, when they did not have time to buy it, they decided to build a new house that would meet all their expectations while taking inspiration from that design. A key element here became the entrance veranda – a dream for the investors – a porch with a roof supported by wooden posts that would give the building a warm, traditional feel.
The plot on which the rural residence is to be built comprises 7,500 square metres and borders on the picturesque Moszczenica River protection zone. The architects’ task was to create a building of just under 300 square metres that would harmonise with the surrounding landscape and local architectural traditions. The problem that had to be faced was the need to balance tradition and modernity. The Polish rural building tradition is dominated by two building types: the modest country cottage and the monumental manor house. Neither of these, however, would suit the needs of investors.
It was therefore decided to combine traditional elements with inspirations drawn from the picturesque architecture of English and American country residences. The design uses a symmetrical façade with a veranda on the entrance axis, supported by four wooden pillars, which gives the building an elegant, classical appearance. The body of the house on the river side, as well as the garden, are shaped in a more natural, picturesque and casual way. The wing of the building with the garage frames the terrace, and the shorter wing, which is the canopy of the terrace next to the dining room, completes the composition of the body of the house.
To finish the façade, bricks fired at the local brickworks in Dąbrówka near Zgierz, which has been supplying building materials to the surrounding villages for more than a century, were chosen. As a result, the house not only fits aesthetically into the local landscape, but also in some way relates to regional building traditions. The most important design decision was to hide the technical and utility wing with the garage on the side of the house, resulting in a clean, symmetrical façade with two storey facade elements and a veranda spanning between them.
Source: Raczko Kokoszkiewicz Architekci
Also read: Architecture in Poland | Polish designers | Single-family house | Brick | whiteMAD on Instagram
