House H4

uncommon single-family house – duplex

This Project was quite unusual from the very beginning.
The plot on which it is to be realised has been in the investor’s family for generations. There is already a small building there – a classic manor house – a gift from Marshal Piłsudski himself for meritorious service in Polish Legions. We immediately felt that this place is and will be of high importance to the owner’s family and they wouldn’t wish the new project to be just an empty investment.

The new house is meant to add value to everything that’s already been there. The plot itself is located in the suburbs of Cracow. It is a large and green area, with plenty of spreading trees. However, it slightly lacks privacy, as one longer side borders the neighbours’ access road. Just beyond the plot, there is a view of more land ­­- a scarp and what lies beneath it.

Our task was to try and integrate the new building into the area so as not to dominate the existing one. At the same time, the goal was to create a symbiosis of the new and the old. We wanted to design a cubature and a private space for the garden in which the householders would feel comfortable.

We came up with a concept of connecting the new building by a uniform plane of its wall to the existing manor house. The house kind of resembles a signpost. What we see first is the wall and then the house emerges. At the same time, such a barrier is the perfect excuse to create a quiet and intimate garden in the inner area of the plot.

The building itself also has a rather unusual layout. The 2 units separated from its body are independent comfortable houses. This type of building is commonly referred to as a duplex.

As for the layout of rooms in the building:

The units vary in terms of floor space. They share an entrance hall. The bigger unit has the features of a typical house with all functions thereof and includes interior staircase. The building has three storeys and a usable attic. There is a terrace on the first floor. The second unit is smaller, with only 2 storeys. It can be used as a residential unit for family or guests, or it can also serve as a workshop or an art studio.

The living rooms of both units overlook the garden and have doors to directly access it. The greenery selected for the garden is wild with local plant species.

The façade is made of a roughcast plaster stucco. Its outline is complemented by joinery featuring rectangular window frames with fix windows or opening wooden panels.