In Goshenczyce, a small village south of Warsaw, architects from the NOTO.STUDIO studio have undertaken the expansion of a historic 19th-century Swiss-style villa. The historic part on the driveway side is to remain almost unchanged, while the new structure - a single-story pavilion located on the south side - will house the living and private areas of the investors.
nineteenth-century mansion
© NOTO.STUDIO
Built from natural materials, the pavilion, as intended by the architects, contrasts with the historic body of the mansion. The division of the new space refers to the existing layouts of rooms - divided into three modules, the new part of the building will house a bedroom, a patio that illuminates the interior, and a living room. The existing and the added structure will be united by a spacious terrace.
sketch
© NOTO.STUDIO
challenges of working with a monument
Ola Kloc: What was the priority for the investors?
Maciej Sidorowicz: The priority for the investors was first of all to improve the quality of the existing building. The historic fabric, although beautiful, deviates in standard from modern realities. Through the expansion, we primarily wanted to achieve better contact with the surrounding greenery. The introduction of a pavilion-like extension allowed us to increase openings where we needed them most - in the living and private areas. Such a procedure makes the contact with nature completely different - a lot of light comes in through the huge glazing, and we can access the terrace from every room.
Ola: What are the difficulties involved in working with an existing building?
Maciej: The building, first of all, is under conservation protection, the project must respect the existing fabric. We can't afford every folly, so as not to lose the character of the mansion. In addition to ideological and formal difficulties, there are also technical difficulties. The structure of the villa is wooden, so restoration of the building basically involves "stripping" the house down to its skeleton. As with most monuments, the problem is the foundations. It was important to accurately inventory the interior details to recreate the atmosphere that prevailed in the various rooms.
first floor plan
© NOTO.STUDIO
sincerity of form
Ola: You decided to expand in a contrasting modern style to the existing block, what influenced this decision?
Maciej: We feel that this approach to expansion is simply the best solution. We feel that an attempt to imitate the existing style, however best, will always be artificial and palpable. Sincerity of form is important. This is 2021, we can't go back to the mid-nineteenth century. As architects, we should take advantage of the opportunities that modern technology offers. Moreover, the juxtaposition of the existing spaces with the character of the new ones makes for a very interesting experience. We feel that the two spaces complement each other - they gain in quality.
Ola: What was the most difficult part of this project, and what are you most satisfied with?
Maciej: The most difficult part of the project was implementing new technologies into the existing structure. Raising standards to modern requirements, in the case of historic buildings, is always a challenge. We're talking about ensuring adequate thermal insulation of the partitions, providing adequate ventilation of the rooms and heating them.
We are most satisfied with the functioning of the entire building after the expansion. Maintaining a strong axis and symmetrical layout was very important to us. The introduction of a green patio allowed us to illuminate the representative living room, which now becomes the heart of the entire layout. The layout of the rooms is also distinctive, allowing energy to circulate - similar to the mansions, where the rooms spread out around the stoves.
Ola: Thank you for the interview.
