Nakielska Apartments is a new residential development under construction in Warsaw's Wola district, in close proximity to Warsaw Insurgents' Park and Moczydło Park. The estate, designed by the GCK Architekci studio specializing in multi-family building projects, combines the tranquility and intimacy of a green neighborhood with its industrial history.
A multitude of walking alleys, pedestrian shortcuts, spacious gardens - all this creates a park-like atmosphere of the investment, encouraging outdoor rest and recreation. At the same time, the main façade of the building, referring to the architecture of Wola years ago, reminds us what district of Warsaw we are in and introduces us to a characteristic, slightly industrial atmosphere.
The mass has gained a clear division of zones
© GCK Architekci
The architects achieved a timeless character of the building through balanced proportions. The mass gained a clear division of zones: a front elevation with a courtyard, an intermediate semi-private zone and a completely private zone topped with gardens. Proportions have also been maintained in the size of windows, as well as indentations in the building, providing residents with more light and a sense of space.
The building, whose construction has already begun, consists of seven floors, a representative entrance hall, an inner green courtyard and an underground garage. Three- and four-room apartments will predominate - all with balconies or loggias. Green gardens will be prepared on the first floor, and spacious terraces on the top floors. On the first floor, on the side of Nakielska Street, service premises have been designed for various functions - a restaurant, drugstore, discount store.
The estate is surrounded by greenery
© GCK Architekci
Dobrawa Bies: What was your priority in this project?
GCK Architects: Our priority was to create a living space that was as friendly as possible for residents. To do this, we also had to take advantage of any spatial constraints. One of them was a provision in the local plan, which limited the possibility of locating the building on 1/3 of the plot, which allowed us to design and arrange a large space for recreational areas. We also conducted a thorough analysis of the traffic solutions that have been in place for years in the vicinity of the plot. We decided to maximize the advantages of the neighborhood to provide residents with even more greenery. Thus, on the south side of the estate we have a view of the wooded park panorama. In the northern part, where the windows face the street, we compensate for the view with a courtyard wrapped in greenery, which additionally remains open so as not to create a well effect.
Nakielska Apartments is a multifunctional building, with space provided for commercial establishments along the entire exterior frontage. In this context, our priority was to ensure efficient and unobstructed deliveries to residents. This was achieved by planning them not from Nakielska Street, but from the back.
A design for a modern townhouse with a courtyard was created
© GCK Architekci
Dobrawa: What did the investor expect?
GCK Architekci: For the investor, this was the first investment of this type on this side of the Vistula River. Somewhat against sales trends, he expected larger and set-up apartments, with clear floor plans. To this end, we increased the number of staircases, abandoning the corridor layout and "U" shaped block - our first concept. We used more intimate solutions, characteristic of higher standard apartments. The final result was a design of a modern townhouse with a courtyard, with a representative open entrance, inviting residents to the garden area. Thanks to the solutions used, such as "cracks" in the courtyard, the estate gained more space and light, through which greenery shines through, creating an intimate character of the place. In accordance with the principle of good neighbor liness, we also showed the development possibilities of the plots adjacent to the investment, as we wanted a coherent urban design also for the residents of other estates.
From the south side of the estate, residents have a view of the park panorama
© GCK Architects
Dobrawa: Please tell us about the design work and the solutions used.
GCK Architekci: The realization required us to work intensively at the concept stage - in the end two designs of completely different buildings were created. The challenge was to effectively plan the garages, as the space was quite limited. We managed to accomplish the task by using a single floor. One of the solutions we proposed was to design charging stations for electric vehicles, operating on a prepaid basis. They were located on the estate's grounds and only residents can use them. It is also worth highlighting the friendly solutions of the smart home system, which can be customized to meet the individual needs of tenants and significantly contribute to reducing the cost of using residential units. Taking into account the number of bicycle paths and outdoor activity spaces in the vicinity of the development, we also focused on functional solutions such as bicycle rooms. They are provided on the first floor next to each vertical of apartments.
all apartments have balconies or loggias
© GCK Architekci
Dobrawa: Nakielska is a large estate, how do you design such a building wisely so that its residents have a sense of space?
GCK Architects: It all starts with the sense of space in the apartment itself, which is created, among other things, by large windows, light, and view openings that allow unhindered gazing. The perception of space is also influenced by spacious loggias and terraces. First floors are provided with large front gardens, similar to houses in terraced layouts. The distances between the buildings themselves and the neighborhood are also important. At this scale of the development, the mass of the buildings and the surrounding development is not perceived as dense, but on the contrary - intimate and inviting to return to. If we would look at the investment from above, we would see numerous rises, dips and "cracks". This significantly reduces the scale of the building and affects the sense of "space."
Dobrawa: Thank you for the interview.
