Less than an hour's drive from Warsaw, Wildcat - a summer house on a triangular plan - was built in the Nadbuzanski Landscape Park. Architect Magdalena Grycz and her friends designed it out of the need to create a unique place to rest and to help wildcats and other endangered animal species with their activities. From each stay at Wildcat, a portion of the proceeds goes to help animals from the WWF Foundation.
The black facade of the lodge stands out against the winter landscape
Photo: Pawel Kraszewski © Magdalena Grycz, mallumo, FOSA studio
Wildcat cottage with black elevation located in the forest by the Bug River. The building contains everything necessary for relaxation - a living room with a kitchen connected to a bedroom, a bathroom, a terrace and a mini sauna. The author Magdalena Grycz, together with her partner Marlena Graczyk of mallumo architecture studio and Filip Surowiecki of FOSA studio, wanted to create a space full of harmony. Together they designed the body and interiors in a minimalist style. A huge window lets nature and the scents of the forest into the cottage. The colors of the furniture and walls, as well as the lighting details, allude to the soothing colors of the earth. All this promotes tranquility and relaxation.
Wildcat was created on a triangular plan
© Magdalena Grycz, mallumo, FOSA studio
Dobrawa Bies: Where did the idea for Wildcat come from? The form of the cottage is unusual, what o influenced such a design decision?
Magdalena Grycz: A love of out-of-the-box architecture is the glue that binds me, my partner and our graphic designer friend. We were fascinated by the designs of the mini-cabins of London's KOTO Design studio, and began to make plans to create something similar in Poland.
The triangle is not an easy shape to design, but we chose it because it is a beautiful shape that draws attention. On its plan we had to fit a living area and a sauna. Soon the first sketches were made, and before we knew it, construction began. Now we are talking about the cottage, which is already standing and waiting for the first guests. Wildcat's structure is wooden, and we used black sheet metal for the facade. The name Wildcat refers to the legendary summer cottages popular in communist Poland. The generation born in the 1970s certainly remembers the triangular Brda, where we used to go for summer holidays under a pear tree.
The cottage even houses a dry sauna
© Magdalena Grycz, mallumo, FOSA studio
Dobrawa: What was the most important thing when creating Wildcat?
Magdalena Grycz: Permission to relax. Wildcat is a cottage made for doing nothing. Just an hour's drive from Warsaw, you can enjoy the Bug River walks, vinyl music and the taste of eggs from happy hens living nearby.
A wooden clearance in the middle of the cottage gently suggests an unhurried breakfast outdoors. A dry sauna helps relax the body. The Bug River, located 100 meters in a straight line from the cottage gives rest to the eyes and head. Another goal was to multiply the good. We want to simultaneously help Wildcat's tenants regenerate themselves, as well as contribute to protecting what allows them to do so - nature. That's why, from each stay at Wildcat, we donate part of the proceeds to help the WWF Foundation.
Wildcat was created for doing nothing
© Magdalena Grycz, mallumo, FOSA studio
Dobrawa: Who was Wildcat designed for? How should visitors feel here?
Magdalena Grycz: Wildcat was created for people from the big city, craving contact with nature, who don't want to travel far to be able to relax. The minimalist interior, where warm shades of plywood and natural fabrics - linen and wool - reign supreme, will allow them to free themselves from excess, give them space and breath. It will facilitate letting go of what no longer serves. The surroundings, filled with the rustling of leaves, the smell of the forest and the sound of the river, will help them remember what is really important.
Dobrawa: Thank you for the interview!
