Architect Marcin Gierbienis talked about the importance of architectural competitions in the industry and the design of the Marszewo Forest Botanical Garden. Marcin Gierbienis, architect, co-owner of an architectural studio and employee of the Faculty of Architecture at the Cracow University of Technology, tells the story of the architect. He is also a winner and juror of the Geberit “Bathroom Design” competition. How does he see the role of competitions and what plans does his studio have for the future?
The hallmark of your atelier is the wide variety of projects it carries out. How do you achieve such professional versatility that allows you to compete successfully in the design market?
Marcin Gierbienis: Since 2016, we have been creating the architectural studio Gierbienis Poklewski, at the same time being research and teaching employees at the Faculty of Architecture of the Krakow University of Technology, where we are involved in architecture. I – public utilities, Damian – urban planning and the broadly defined residential environment. We are particularly sensitive to the landscape, both the existing one and the one created by us architects. We are also keen on ecological and self-sufficient architecture. Diversity – if it is noticeable – is therefore a result of the way we work and the multifaceted approach to the task at hand. The context of the place in which we design can be so different that it generates unique decisions.
We are not tied to a particular style or character of architecture. We are certainly particularly interested in contemporary timber construction and try to emphasise this in the concepts we present. We are aware that the actions of architects often have irreversible consequences, so we focus on adapting the concept to both human needs and keeping the environment in mind.
As a design studio, you often participate in architectural competitions. What does taking part in such competitions give you – apart from, of course, the prestige of winning prizes or awards?
Participation in architectural competitions is an integral part of the architectural profession. Of course – it is a kind of prestige, but at the same time it is often the only opportunity to win a commission for a cultural facility. We notice that very few modern museum, music or performance institutions are being built or are being built privately in Poland. Even if you do not win, but receive an award, you therefore gain the opportunity to be noticed by a potential customer. And this is what we are hoping for. A competition is an opportunity to manifest one’s beliefs. Sometimes we enter into a discourse with the provisions of the regulations, we propose solutions.
In the academic environment, we observe, and at the Krakow University of Technology we organise, various competitions for students. Nowadays there are several platforms and institutions constantly organising them. This is an excellent preparation for the real work in the profession. In my student days, the choice was limited, but I also tried to be active. Naturally, during the period of gathering experience in architectural offices, as well as now – within our company – competitions are still very important. With Damian, we entered in 2015 with the assumption that winning would allow us to set up our business. Happily, we were successful quite quickly. The competition for the educational building at the Forest Botanical Garden in Gdynia was our third time working together.
The fact that it is difficult to be recognised is due to the high level of competition. There are many excellent architectural offices, both large, already widely recognised, and aspiring ones, and there are still new ones being established after all. We are also seeing an increase in the level of students in our Faculty. The market is developing dynamically. Ultimately, what we care about is not so much winning awards, although that is nice, but getting commissions. We have participated several times in strictly conceptual competitions, which we also appreciate because they allow us to directly manifest the ideological approach of the architect. At the moment we care about realisations, not concepts, hence our focus on competitions organised by SARP.
In 2016, your studio received an award for the design of the educational building at the Marszewo Forest Botanical Garden. This is a unique project in many respects, if only because of the solutions that have never been seen before in public facilities. Could you explain the concept of this unusual project?
As I mentioned before, the award did not so much go to the studio, but it allowed us to officially start our business. Hence, it has a special dimension for us. Also in terms of the aforementioned manifestation of architectural convictions.
At the same time, developing the theme from the first question about being recognisable, we want our image to be associated with energy-conscious construction which offers comfort and does not have a negative impact on the existing environment. The project in the Marszewo Forest Botanical Garden allowed us to put these ideas into practice. We were able to learn experientially how to not only design, but ultimately conduct construction using cross-laminated timber technology, or CLT.
We were very keen to take a risk – because that is what we could call the introduction of a niche technology in the country at the time (and it was the end of 2015) to a relatively small investment. We are very pleased that the investor – the State Forests – trusted us and designated us as the winners of the competition. As an interesting aside, we lost a previous competition for the library by proposing wood. At that time, the investor stated that he was concerned about the wooden building in terms of exploitation. In the case of Gdynia, at a certain point we also doubted whether the facility would not turn out to be merely theoretical, as it was very difficult to find a contractor who would undertake the project within the framework of a tender. Even our efforts to find willing parties failed. Eventually, we succeeded, with the project lying in a drawer for a while. TB.Invest felt that such a structure would be an attractive addition to their portfolio, giving wider promotion of their business outside the country.
When we talk about a public building entirely constructed in CLT, we are the first, but we have seen over the years how slowly the technology has found its way into house construction and now also into service projects, albeit usually in a hybrid version.
A similar situation has occurred with the finishing of facades using tan boards. The Shou Sugi Ban technique in 2016 had been encountered around the world, but could hardly be considered widely used. In our case, its choice was dictated by both pragmatic factors – we were mindful of the potential for ease of use – and aesthetics, as the dark colour allowed the block to be visually withdrawn from the landscape, while arousing curiosity as to what was inside the building. The warm wood of the CLT panels also enhanced the contrast between the exterior and interior.
At the same time, in a public building – according to the regulations – the façade must be NRO – non fire-spreading. While it is possible to purchase a product that will protect a natural wooden plank, a raw material that has been subjected to flames is – according to the legal nomenclature – not considered natural wood, so it could not be considered to comply with the regulations after being treated with impregnation. Thanks to the cooperation with the local, Małopolska-based company Custom Zole, it was possible to prepare samples of the façade, which were used both for the aesthetic assessment of the solution and for testing at the Building Research Institute. In the end, a unit approval was obtained for the board covered with a specific product that provided the expected fire resistance parameters. We know that the manufacturer of the board that is used on our building is currently testing a product that meets NRO, so in this field we can certainly consider that we have blazed a trail.
Looking at the building itself, we can also see parallels with farm buildings, both in architectural form and urban planning. It is essentially a composition of dispersed volumes that have been bound together by a homogeneous fence, creating two courtyards of different character. All entrances to the building lead through folding gates. The high fence restricts unauthorised access, increases security and at the same time formally refers to the character of the homestead buildings with a contemporary interpretation of the wooden rampart. Occasional windows appear in the facades, often hidden behind shutters, which allow for a minimalist expression of the whole, as well as having a functional significance, allowing the access of light to be controlled.
Currently, the building is already occupied by foresters, and occasional events, workshops and meetings are organised. Meanwhile, the main exhibition space awaits a target exhibition on forest flora and fauna. Still, the building itself is an exhibition showing the use of wood in modern construction. We are pleased that its reception by users has been positive, arousing particular curiosity in the youngest visitors.
You were also the winner of the ‘Bathroom Design’ competition (formerly the KOŁO competition), organised by Geberit, in which you competed several times. Why was this competition so important to you?
Yes, I was a co-laureate with a then still student of architecture, Ewa Pokrywa. In 2021, I even made the decision to finally give up further participation in this competition. Ewa approached me with a view not so much to my contact in academia, but to the competition experience of previous years. In the end, this project, a jointly developed concept for a building that integrates function and a unique landscape, was drawn by her hands. Certainly the strength of the idea is the simplicity and legibility of the message, which in principle is the overriding characteristic of good architecture.
The ‘Bathroom Design’ competition can be considered significant for any student and architect of my time. My professional work now allows me to look at the student from different perspectives. While nowadays there are many architectural competitions that are directly aimed at non-professional groups, the situation was different when I was a student. One could venture to say that the ‘Bathroom Design’ competition paved the way for all the other institutions and platforms that now organise similar ventures.
It is worth mentioning that the aim of the competition evolved from “visualising” interiors to designing architectural objects, and even went further – it presented the participants with sometimes difficult and responsible tasks. It is also worth mentioning the jury. For a student or young architect, being assessed by well-known names in the field is a form of self-testing – a foretaste of larger competitions, and in the case of this competition, it was always excellent in this respect. Also attractive was the fact that several of the prize-winning projects were realised, which is already a rarity in this type of initiative. For several people, winning was also a prelude to a bigger career, further awards, interesting realisations. This is certainly encouraging for the participants.
I also see the fact that the rules and the scope of work are relatively small as an added advantage. Even with little time, it was possible to tear yourself away for a while, sit down to sketch and a few days later already be assembling the boards. For example, I decided to take part in one of the editions just two days before the deadline for submissions, and this fact motivated me to look for an idea that was minimalist enough that both the time spent working, the energy put in and the final result were consistent.
When it comes to the ‘Projekt Łazienki’ competition (formerly the KOŁO competition), you took an unusual path, being first a participant, then a winner, and finally also… a juror. a juror. How did you find yourself in each of these roles?
I have very fond memories of being invited to be a juror, because in fact I was able to look at the competition from the other side, meet fantastic people, both from Geberit and from the then potential investor of the building, the Wilanów Palace, as well as excellent architects and women architects. Such meetings on the occasion of the judging are always very pleasant, and talking about architecture, getting to know a different point of view or, conversely, similar conclusions, is a value in itself, also building experience.
In retrospect, I like several of the awarded projects and consider them successful. Interestingly, they were made at different times and in different forms of collaboration. I think that while a project by its scope can be done by one person, doing a task in a team has a lot of value, it allows you to have a distance from your ideas, get to know another point of view, use the often different predispositions we have.
In Gdynia – it was 2014 – together with my colleague from studies, Jarek Gawliczek, we made a very simple object, focused on the display of wood and the closeness to nature of the seaside boulevard landscape. In Slupsk four years later, already as part of the Gierbienis Poklewski studio, we continued to emphasise the human-nature relationship, proposing an object inspired by biophilia. On the other hand, in 2020 in Warsaw, in the Royal Baths Park, I individually proposed a micro-library, hiding toilets behind bookshelves, which resulted from the desire to go beyond the convention of an object focused only on the sanitary function. The year 2021 saw the aforementioned competition in the Chocholowska Valley and the winning of the Grand Prix. What all the concepts have in common is the use and display of wood in the construction and finish of the facades and the promotion of environmentally friendly solutions.
You mentioned the Chocholowska Valley toilet project by you and Ewa Pokrywa. At what stage is this realisation?
I am very pleased that Ewa Pokrywa and I were able to win the main prize in the Chocholowska Valley competition, especially as, as I mentioned, I was no longer planning to continue participating in it. In retrospect, I also think that exactly this edition and this place were the most close to me, so it was a good thing. At the time, the competition was postponed and it was my former student who took the initiative to enter, precisely with the experience of previous editions in mind.
The idea was born spontaneously as a manifesto for renouncing the restoration of mountain hut architecture and was based on the idea of returning a heavily degraded meadow area to nature. It is therefore a kind of anti-building, more of a social space, a place of recreation and rest for tourists on the trail. What is important in this type of competition is the message, but also how we present it, which Eve did in a very clear and also poetic way.
The project is currently being done in the studio, so we hope to be able to realise it, but – as in the case of Marszewo – it is a challenge for us. Despite the modest volume, the location is particularly challenging in many respects, and we are keen to preserve the value of the form. We plan to apply for planning permission in the near future and assume the presentation of a concept update.
The Gierbienis Poklewski studio specialises particularly in the design of public buildings. Are they a greater challenge for an architect than residential or interior designs?
We certainly care about projects that are close to people and their needs. Public buildings have a special social dimension and can also promote sustainable development and pro-environmental values. From the beginning, we have been involved in designing office interiors in addition to volumes, and more recently also residential spaces. This customisation results in realisations that are both aesthetically arousing and simply functional, where ergonomics and economy are of great importance. What is important to us is to work consciously with the budget and maximise the potential of the space, which is just as important as the visual effect. Certainly, the architect’s view of interiors is slightly different to that of an interior designer, which we see as an advantage. We look at the space through the prism of the whole. What is important to us – as I mentioned earlier – is the message of the project, and this can be expressed both in architectural form, urban planning and through the aesthetics of the interiors. When using modern timber technologies, it is also difficult to detach these elements from each other, because it is these elements as a whole that build the perception of the building. Wood – in various forms – is also often used in interior design.
The second half of 2024 has recently begun, so it is time for a little review. What have you managed to achieve this year, and what plans are still to be realised?
This year we have not actually entered any competitions yet. We have devoted a lot of time to our scientific activities and work with students. We divide our time and energy between being active architects and, at the same time, research and teaching at the university, where, in addition to our teaching activities, we also participate in conferences, workshops and publish articles.
We were also associated with a research project entitled ‘Local development of Hrubieszów – from participation to implementation’, which the Cracow University of Technology carried out from 2021 to 2024 in partnership with the Hrubieszów Municipality. This collaboration was important to me insofar as it concerned the city of my birth and youth. As an architect, I often emphasise the importance of attachment to locality, both in terms of the material and the natural and cultural landscape. Participation in the project was therefore an opportunity to make a more personal statement about the idea of how the city was shaped. This resulted in two studies in particular. The first concerned the construction of a new Transport Centre – the resulting concept served as a tender study for the final construction of the facility. Its construction is currently underway. The second was a concept for a so-called ‘house with a climate’. The project involved a student competition, in which I was one of the jurors, as well as workshops in which teams of didacticians from the University of Technology together with students of architecture and landscape architecture took part. The concepts for the houses with gardens were to make a contemporary reference to the historical legacy of the region.
If anyone has not had the opportunity to be in Hrubieszów, it is a town known for its wooden architecture and street urbanism with characteristic gardens along the streets. Naturally, it is also made famous by the figure of the late Professor Wiktor Zin, whom I had the opportunity to meet many times. The result of the research and design work are three scientific monographs, which have recently been published and made available to readers in the form of free access in the Repository of the Krakow University of Technology. I encourage you to find them. The design of the house, developed together with Professor Katarzyna Hodor and students Marta Szar and Kamila Przytuła, was additionally submitted to the international competition organised by the YAC platform – Young Architects Competitions for a project developed as part of the YAC University Award teaching activities. We were recognised as a finalist in the competition. The project is part of the promotion of modern mass timber construction while retaining inspiration from the classic form of a pit with a gable roof, at the same time distinguished by reference to the colourful façade colours visible in the landscape of Hrubieszów.
So we try to function in various professional fields, but we also do not forget about family life, which is very important to us. The harmony we seek in architectural concepts is also appreciated in our privacy.
Marcin Gierbienis, born in Hrubieszów. Architect, graduate of the Faculty of Architecture at the Cracow University of Technology (2007) and the Academy of Photography in Cracow (2007). He holds a construction licence (2016) and is a member of the Małopolska Regional Chamber of Architects. He studied drawing under the tutelage of Professor Wiktor Zin. Between 2007 and 2016, he was a designer at renowned offices in Krakow – Kozień Architekci and DDJM. Since 2016, he has co-founded the Gierbienis Poklewski studio. Since 2017, he has been an employee of the Faculty of Architecture at the Cracow University of Technology, in the position of research and teaching assistant professor. In 2022, he defended his doctoral thesis entitled. “The impact of technological and cultural changes on the functioning of public libraries in the 21st century”, whose supervisor was Professor Magdalena Kozień-Wozniak. He sees architecture as the answer to human needs. He appreciates simplicity and minimalism, as well as designs that remain in relationship with the natural environment.
source: press materials
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