A single-family house has been built in Poznań that is a manifesto of PL.architekci ‘s approach to design: with no division between interior and architecture, in full symbiosis of space and form. It is a modern building whose shape resembles interconnected cubes. For the design of the building, the architects won a distinction in the Jan Baptista Quadro Architectural Award of the Mayor of the City of Poznań competition and in the NAWW Architectural Award of the Wielkopolska Region competition.
When designing a single-family home, it is of great importance to respond to the needs of future residents. This is why the PL.architekci team does not focus on the appearance of the block during the first meetings with clients, but rather on getting to know their way of life. The investors came with a clear list of expectations: opening up to the forest, the kitchen as the heart of the house, a covered terrace, a pond and a wooden façade. The proximity to the forest was both an asset and a challenge – regulations required adequate distances from the wall of trees, and the narrow plot made interior lighting difficult. The solution became an impressive skylight above the kitchen, which not only fills the space with light but also ties the two floors together, facilitating communication between the occupants. This is an example of how architecture builds the interior, and the interior gives meaning to the architecture.
The body of the house was inscribed into the natural slope of the land, which made it possible to create a two-storey ground floor and give the living room the desired height.
We wanted the building to merge with the landscape, not compete with it. We kept the existing slope of the site – the house follows it by creating a two-storey ground floor in the interior. This in turn naturally increased the height of the living room area, which the clients wanted. The muted, dark colours of the facade do not contrast with the green of the forest.The garden – was designed in a very natural way to lose the boundary between the forest and the investors’ plot, the architects explain.
The wood, whose colour scheme was crucial for the investors, flows seamlessly from the external cladding to the interior – it appears on the panels, doors and furniture fronts, with precise boarding divisions. This required meticulous documentation and execution to make every detail perfect.
The natural terrazzo flooring proved to be the biggest challenge. Wrought three times, including all the layers, it still caused problems – from the colouring to the cracks. Only the determination of the architects, contractors and investors led to a perfect result.
The interiors are kept in warm, muted colours, where the wealth of textures – linen, cotton, leather, wool – gives the space a noble feel. The walls and ceilings are finished with natural combed plasters that reveal the work of the craftsmen. The only strong accent is the stone built-up kitchen island and bathroom cabinetry. It initially aroused scepticism among the investors, but only direct contact with the stone convinced them of its charm.
The minimalist interiors are at the same time very homely. Every element has its place, the space is organised and durable – just as the investors, who value order and constancy, expected. The only variable remains the landscape outside the window, which brings the rhythm of nature into the house. The PL.architekci project shows that architecture and interior do not exist separately – they intermingle, creating a coherent story of life, place and harmony.
design: PL.architekci
architecture and interior design: Bartłomiej Bajon, Katarzyna Cynka – Bajon, Agnieszka Jurenko
design team: Michał Rams
construction: BSD CONSTRUCTIONS – Jacek Kryske, Patryk Kasprzycki
photography: Tom Kurek
Read also: single-family house | Poznań | PL.Architekci | Elevation | Interiors | Detail | whiteMAD on Instagram
