On the outskirts of Poznan, where two worlds meet - forests, fields, meadows, agricultural buildings and estates of single-family houses - a house stood. Its form is reminiscent of the former German brick barns located around, which, despite the passage of time, still intrigue with their simple form and balanced proportions.
There is a reason why barns today are so attractive to those looking for distinctiveness and originality. Their simplicity often differs from the "sophisticated" concepts of single-family houses, unnaturally extended in every direction of the world, or columned mansions straight out of "Dynasty." However, not everyone appreciates such architecture. Many of the old barns that still exist stand derelict with yawning black holes in the windows and a deteriorating roof. And that's a shame. The {tag:Studio} show what can be done with such a barn.
Inspired by local construction, the designers, along with the developer, came up with the idea of using the best of it. The decision to buy an old barn, dismantle it and use the material to build a new house determined the thinking behind the project.
A space open to the forest
The house stood on a narrow plot of land, which turned out to be a huge asset because of the neighboring forest. On one length of the elevation, the living area of the house, located on the patera, overlooks the wall of trees through glazing. This opening was topped by an equally long terrace. The impression of this almost endless space is enhanced by the 5-meter high kitchen with living room. The architects decided to fill in the zone a bit and placed a module at the first-floor level that included a bathroom, bedroom and dressing room - overlooking, of course, the forest stretching beyond the windows. This "levitating" module forms a kind of canopy for part of the first floor - it serves as a roof shielding the terrace from rain and excessive sun. Zofia Wyganowska is responsible for the interior design.
Brick house
Photo: Przemyslaw Turlej
Return to masonry traditions
An interesting idea of the designers was to place the garage in the central point of the building. This allowed combining it with other usable rooms - pantry, boiler room, utility space, but also the hall. Children's rooms with an additional attic were placed above this part.
Bricks from the old barn, which the tooth of time has only slightly nibbled, were used to create the house's facade. Thus, the historic material gave the place a unique atmosphere and mood. It is not faceless concrete, but a carrier marking the passing years. The facade consists of four types of brick ties - each with a different level of transparency and a different pattern. These details highlight the different zones of the house. Its simple form does not compete with the decorated facade - it is a background for it, but at the same time emphasizes it. The idea of an openwork wall not only visually relieved the volume, but also connected the interior with the exterior, letting in light and forest views. This arrangement of bricks presented a challenge to the bricklayers, while harkening back to the old traditions of building craftsmanship.
