A Silesian house reinvented. JASTAA was inspired by typical homestead buildings

The contemporary Silesian house according to the JASTAA architectural office is a concept prepared as part of the competition ‘Your house – dialogue with tradition’, conducted in 2021 by the National Heritage Institute in cooperation with the Katowice branch of SARP. The project combines features of a traditional Silesian homestead translated into the language of contemporary architecture.

The JASTAA office won the first prize. It was awarded for a creative interpretation of the typological model of homestead buildings characteristic of Silesia. The anticipated location of the building is the districts of Bieruńsko-Lędziński, Gliwicki, Lubliniecki, Mikołowski, Pszczyński, Raciborski, Rybnicki, Tarnogórski and Wodzisławski in the Śląskie Voivodeship. This is no coincidence. A form of housing, the homestead, developed in the Silesian countryside. It was a direct response to the needs arising from the running of a farm. Depending on the shape and size of the plot, the buildings were arranged differently. However, this arrangement was always the result of individual needs.

The detached single-family house was designed in a similar way and consists of three building blocks. Each building block is a specific module that can be set up in any configuration in relation to the others. Each building has its own function – the first houses the living area, kitchen and work zone. The second, more private building contains the householder’s bedrooms. The third building is an outbuilding that houses the garage. Thanks to these features, the project is flexible and allows you to create a unique space on any plot of land.

The form of the buildings refers to the architecture of the central part of the Silesian Province. In the districts where the projected building is to be located, there are many examples of brick-built, unplastered houses with a rectangular ground plan. This type of construction stands out against the other districts of the voivodship, as the majority of Silesian houses are timber-framed structures. An element of the project which functionally relates to the building tradition of the area is also the so-called lauba. Originally, it was a specific type of wooden porch added to the building. For the residents, it was not only a passable area in front of the entrance to the house, but they also liked to spend their free time there. The designed laube in its more modern form respects the building traditions of the central Silesian area.

The structure of the designed house is also brick and insulated with polystyrene. The façade is finished with tile from the face of demolition bricks, making the construction of the house more ecological, and the building itself fits perfectly into the local landscape. The laube surround and the side of the corridor are finished with facade boards. The roof is covered with red ceramic plain tile. The joinery is designed as timber.

The main idea of the concept is to be inspired by the tradition of homestead construction in rural Silesia. The single, homogenous body of the dwelling house was replaced by three buildings with different functions. By changing the position of the blocks in relation to each other, intimate, pleasant interiors can be created. This is reminiscent of the inner courtyards that naturally appeared in homestead developments.

Source: JASTAA

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A Silesian home reinvented. The JASTAA office was inspired by typical homestead buildings