The conversion of the semi-detached house included a segment of it. The changes showed that it is possible to breathe new spirit into old communist houses and create an attractive living space inside. Thanks to the reconstruction, the residents gained more space. The project was prepared by Marcin Szymański of ArchiBot studio.
The building is located in the Zalesie estate in the northern part of Wrocław. In the neighbourhood, there are other modernist houses forming a historic urban complex from 1901. However, the rebuilt house did not stand out due to its special architectural features. It is a semi-detached house, which was built in the late 1960s and early 1970s. It was built in a cuboidal form with characteristic corner balconies on the south side and a terrace on the north side.
Years later, the condition of the building had deteriorated badly. The developer decided to rebuild his segment and change its functional layout. The residents were to gain a new, attractive space whose interiors would reflect a modern spirit. When preparing the design, the architect kept in mind the specifics of the building and did not want the aesthetics of the rebuilt segment to diverge radically from the old part.
As a result, the front of the house underwent only minor changes. The building gained a new façade, slightly larger windows and elements of perforated steel and concrete.
The biggest changes can be seen on the garden side. The façade of this part has been changed with a covered entrance area to the house made of perforated steel and an extension of the existing terrace. An additional space has appeared there, which is now an internal part of the house. In it, the architect designed a bedroom with a dressing room.
The biggest changes are visible on the garden side:

An interesting feature is the opening up of the basement part of the building to the garden. There, too, an additional space with a residential function has been created.
Revolutionary changes took place inside. The architect decided to demolish part of the walls, creating a new functional layout. The interior has become bright, open and spacious, and large window displays allow you to enjoy the view of the nearby greenery.
The character of the interiors was intended to refer to the aesthetics of the bygone communist era. Many elements alluding to the characteristic furnishings of the past were used, parquets laid in the so-called herringbone pattern, curtains, contemporary panelling – laths and complementary steel elements, wallpaper, lamps and flowerbeds, ” sums up architect Marcin Szymański.
design: ArchiBot – Architect Marcin Szymański(www.archibot.pl)
photos: Piotr Sobczak (https://sobczakpiotr.pl)
Home staging: Aleksandra Garbela (insta: oghs_wroclaw)
Also read: single-family house | Metamorphosis | Elevation | Curiosities | Detail | Windows | whiteMAD on Instagram