On the outskirts of Łódź, in the western part of the Nowosolna municipality, an intimate development is under construction - the Tymiankowa Estate by 3DPROJEKT architektura studio. The project consists of four buildings: two detached and two semi-detached - each with a view opening onto the river valley and surrounding meadows, where... horses from a nearby stud farm graze . The architects describe the development as a boutique estate.
The Nowosolna municipality is known for its urban layout - the plan of an eight-pointed star, the central point of which is a square with eight streets emerging from it, converging at a 45-degree angle. It is a much-loved location and is often chosen by Lodz residents for its proximity to the city and natural advantages. The area where the new housing development is being built is bordered on the west by extensive meadows and slopes slightly in the same direction.
This is not without significance for the adopted urban and functional idea, according to which the investment is to be characterized by the maximum opening of the daytime zones to the surrounding landscape and the warm afternoon sun, the architects add.
The estate consists of two detached and two semi-detached buildings
© 3DPROJEKT architecture
intimate housing estate
The project plans two detached buildings with a floor area of 190 sqm each and two semi-detached buildings with a floor area of 185 sqm each, the total area of the development site is 3000 sqm. Thanks to the cascading spread of the detached houses towards the side boundaries of the plot, the architects managed to ensure privacy for future residents and a view opening to the surrounding greenery.
first floor and attic plan of building B
© 3DPROJEKT architecture
The estate's buildings were designed to meet the requirements of a family of four. The first floor of each house features a lighted living room with a dining room and fireplace, a spacious kitchen with a pantry, a study, a toilet and a garage. The first floor is occupied by three bedrooms, each with access to a terrace, including one with a fully equipped bathroom and dressing room, a separate bathroom and a utility room. The first floor facades are covered with white quartz plaster, and the sloping roofs are made of gray standing seam metal panels. Glass balustrades, mechanical ventilation, aluminum window ironwork and natural wood cladding add to the buildings' modernity.
each house is equipped with a terrace
© 3DPROJEKT architecture
Dobrawa Bies: The Tymiankowa Estate is a project being developed in a natural setting on the outskirts of Łódź. Please tell us what is meant by the term boutique estate?
3DPROJEKT architecture: Coming from the French language, the adjective "boutique" (boutique) means a small store with exclusive clothing. In architecture, on the other hand, we reach for this word to describe objects of small scale but exclusive design, and this characteristic fits perfectly with our Tymiankowa Estate project. In the case of this project, as well as other development projects, luxury is all about space and location.
The decision to create a project of an intimate estate open to nature was determined by the qualities of the plot itself, as the area intended for the investment is extremely attractive in terms of landscape. The back of the plot slopes gently, revealing a beautiful view of the river valley and the surrounding meadows where horses graze. When designing the urban layout and the buildings themselves, we placed particular emphasis on providing view openings. We wanted the landscape to be able to be admired from every building on the estate, while ensuring maximum privacy for its residents.
Characteristic of the project are white facades and sloping roofs made of gray sheet metal
© 3DPROJEKT architecture
Intimacy, which is another feature of the boutique estate and at the same time an exclusive asset, is realized on several levels. It is determined not only by the urban layout, but also by the cascading terrain and the architectural form of the buildings. Exclusive also means tailor-made - individually designed. That's why we wanted the buildings we designed to stand out from the background dominated by houses from catalogs, but still fit neatly into the context of their surroundings.
Dobrawa: What requirements did the investor set for you, and what was your priority?
3DPROJEKT architecture: We were in agreement with the investor that, having such a unique site, the advantages of the location should be exposed as much as possible. Our goal was not to maximize the intensity of the development, but to create a good developer's product, placing it in the segment of modern premium houses, the scarcity of which we observe in the Polish real estate market.
For architects, the use of balcony windows was important
© 3DPROJEKT architecture
Dobrawa: The estate will consist of four buildings with an interesting layout and characteristic roof geometry. What was the inspiration and what does the shape of the massing result from?
3DPROJEKT architecture: In our case, each project is a creative processing of information that comes to us from the environment. We analyze the spatial context, listen to the needs of the investor and on this basis we develop an architectural concept.
When designing the Tymiankowa Estate, we tried to make optimal use of the landscape qualities and location of the plot. A major limitation was the provisions in the zoning decision, which imposed a sloping roof shape and the location of the usable floor in the attic. We tried to develop such a body of buildings that would honor the urban planning requirements, be visually attractive and at the same time allow the use of balcony windows in all living spaces on the first floor. We deliberately wanted to avoid the use of slope windows in the attic rooms, as they would have prevented admiring the surrounding landscape. In addition, such an architectural treatment allowed the project to include a viewing terrace in each upstairs bedroom.
Due to the proximity of the horse stud and pastures, we also wanted to give the buildings the characteristics of rural architecture, hence the appearance of wood used in a distinctive way on the gable walls of the building.
The estate is located near a horse stud
© 3DPROJEKT architecture
Dobrawa: The design of multi-family architecture, for example, estates is definitely different from the design of individual houses or apartments. Is it much more difficult? What are the limitations, and what are the possibilities?
3DPROJEKT architecture: The Tymiankowa estate is an intimate complex of four single-family buildings, so we can't talk about multi-family architecture in this case, but it is nevertheless a developer's investment. This means that the developer is not the target user of the building, the target user at the design stage is unknown. We know nothing about his expectations and habits, and it is the interview with the user that is the beginning of the design process. In this respect, it is more difficult. On the other hand, it creates an opportunity for a free architectural statement, which in the case of development projects must be firmly rooted in market realities. In this case, it is largely up to the architect to determine the commercial success of the investment.
Dobrawa: Thank you for the interview.
