The building was designed by Marcin Lewandowicz. Decorated with wood, the house is simple and was built in Potaszy near Poznań. The house is located on a plot of land in the midst of the Zielonka Forest. Its surface area is almost 100 square metres.
A separate quarter of the summerhouse was built on the edge of a climatic stand of trees. The plots on which the surrounding houses stand are mostly overgrown with decades-old pine trees. The original buildings in the area are characterised by the simple form of small houses based on a rectangular plan with gabled roofs. Often the body of the house is made of solid bricks, which are not even protected by plaster and the roof trusses are only covered by boarding on the gable walls. This kind of rural development was the inspiration for the design of the small house.
Blackbirds, wagtails, tits and wrens were here first. Their nests remained and the birds reared their broods during the ongoing construction of this house. Unfortunately, the badger was the only inhabitant of the property and its burrow was hidden under a green-blue hut, a legacy of the previous owners of the plot,” recalls the project’s author.
The functional layout of the house was planned in the space of the ground floor of the building. The open-plan living room with kitchenette and minimalist wooden staircase is a place to relax, receive guests and function all day long. Storage space is guaranteed by lockers, utility rooms and wardrobes, which have been discreetly concealed in the depths of the building. A master bedroom and adjacent minimalist bathroom have also been designed on the ground floor. A wall of glass opens up the view from the bed to the greenery in the garden. One can directly step out onto the lawn and enjoy breakfast amidst the singing of the birds. The living area is complemented by a mezzanine floor and two separate rooms in the attic.
The architect has planned to decorate the building with materials that relate to tradition and are at the same time innovative. Instead of the traditional cement or silicone plaster, a decorative polymer thin-coat plaster with the appearance of architectural concrete was used. The natural wood that appears on the façade is Scandinavian spruce planks and slats protected with a clear varnish. The roofing is a modern flat tile panel complemented by the roof tiles and gutters concealed in the same light grey colour. Complementing the space are panelled wooden fences gate and entrance gate.
The construction of the building is traditional masonry. The 18cm-thick lime-sand block used required quite dense reinforcement with tie beam cores and reinforced concrete uprights because of its slenderness. As a result, despite the lack of a horizontal shield in the form of a reinforced concrete ceiling, the block is very rigid. The roof construction is traditional rafter and purlin, explains the project’s author.
The technical equipment of the house with internal installations has been solved in a modern way and has an open possibility of expansion and modification. Gas heating with a boiler integrated with a DHW cylinder is supplemented by the possibility of diversifying the heat source during transitional periods. This is done by means of a wood burner and a split air conditioner. Of course, the primary function of the air conditioner is to cool the open-plan living room during the summer. The building has underfloor heating on the ground floor and radiator heating in the attic. The electrical and low-current installations have been made in such a way that they can be further extended according to the needs of the residents. It is a simple house, but this makes it versatile and flexible. Ready to change in the future.
photos: Przemyslaw Turlej
design: ENDE marcin lewandowicz
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