The house in Pawlikowice is an intimate, precisely thought-out realisation in which the designers lived. The building was created as a private realisation by architects Marek Szpinda of the UCEES studio and Dorota Szpinda of be37, who several years ago swapped an urban flat in Krakow for a life closer to nature. The choice of a building next to a road with good transport links and a panoramic view of the gentle hills proved both practical and inspiring – from here, in good weather, the view reaches as far as Babia Góra and the Tatra Mountains.
The composition of the house refers to the tradition of the village: parallel blocks, a clear division of functions and a simple, elongated floor plan allude to the historical village buildings. The design consciously quotes features of local, mostly post-war architecture: gabled roofs without eaves and brick walls are a nod to the old buildings. This paraphrase of the past has not stopped at imitation – it has been translated into the contemporary language of form and material, giving tradition a fresh, functional interpretation.
Materials and construction
The building was constructed using traditional technology, using clay blocks, with walls insulated with mineral wool and a facade of hand-formed solid brick. The bricks were sourced from local craftsmanship and made in a specialist manufactory, which ensured the natural texture and durability of the façade. The brick wall was fixed to the foundation wall with anchors, a labour-intensive but cost-effective procedure that guaranteed the stability and aesthetics of the detail. Recesses cut into the solid walls, finished in warm wood, replace the classic eaves and canopies, emphasising the minimalist massing and giving depth to the façade through subtle lighting.
Interior and everyday life
The usable area of the building is 124 square metres with a clear vertical separation of functions. The ground floor is occupied by the living areas with the best landscape exposure: living room, kitchen with dining area, bathroom, gym and utility facilities. On the first floor, a private area is planned with the parents’ bedroom, a large bathroom and the children’s rooms. The focal point of the interior is the living room with its large glazing, which deliberately blurs the boundary between the house and the garden, allowing direct contact with nature.
The arrangement is based on solid oak wood imported from Roztocze, graphite stoneware and a muted palette of whites, ashes and warm woods, which creates a calm backdrop for the raw, geometric forms of the custom-made furniture.
Sustainable solutions
The house has been designed in accordance with energy-saving principles: a compact body with no elements causing excessive heat loss, windows selected for light and solar energy recovery in winter, installation of photovoltaic panels and a domestic sewage treatment plant. The minimalist detailing and reduction of protruding structural elements not only has an aesthetic function, but also a practical one, reducing thermal bridges and simplifying operation.
The material contrast between the brick façade of the house and the raw concrete of the carport, overgrown with ivy, simultaneously emphasises the continuity with the landscape and the contemporary design approach. The architects opted for modern solutions, but referring to traditional architecture. As a result, the house looks as if it has been standing here ‘forever’ and at the same time provides everything that should be expected of contemporary residential buildings.
design: Marek Szpinda (co-owner of the UCEES architectural studio), Dorota Szpinda (owner of the be37 design studio)
photography: Paweł Ulatowski, Joanna Targosz (interiors)
Read also: Single-family house | Brick | Minimalism | Facade | whiteMAD on Instagram
