Around the campfire. Project of rest houses on the Latvian river

Dobrawa Bies

22 of July '22

The Following the fire project was shortlisted for the competition

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Warsaw University of Technology students: Aleksandra Adamska, Zofia Gancarczyk, Klaudia Kochanowska and Aleksandra Musial have designed a complex of holiday homes in the picturesque area of Latvia's Vidava River. Their project Following the fire , which refers to the traditional architecture of the region, took part in the Caramel Shore Traveller Rooms competition of the Buildner platform and was shortlisted for the competition!

The object of the competition was to design five small leisure cabins that could be built in the Latvian town of Skrunda, on the banks of the Vidava River. The river is known for the widest waterfall in Europe, and its light caramel-colored sands create an idyllic landscape frequented by tourists.

holiday cottages brighten the night

The organizers expected a proposal for cottages of 20 square meters with a bedroom, a small kitchen, a sauna, a bathroom and space for storage. In front of the buildings, there was to be a place for a bonfire, a small har bor and a separate facility serving as storage, as well as parking spaces. Most important, however, was the provision of recreational spaces located on the banks of the Windawa River. The designs were to include ecological solutions and support the development of local communities. An important element was to clarify the way and idea of using external and internal communication spaces.

The project is located on the Vindava River in Latvia

projects from Poland appreciated!

The submitted works were evaluated by a jury consisting of: Nancy Beka (Studio Edwards, Australia), Willem van Bolderen (Studio Puisto Architects, Finland), Mari Hunt (b210, Estonian Academy of Arts) Pablo Larroulet (LARROU ARQ - Pablo Larroulet Arquitectura, Chile), Marco Lavit (Atelier LAVIT, France), Jordi Riembau Ribot andMiguel Rusca Mestre (Nordest architecture SLP, Spain), Ahti Sepsivart (artist, architect from Estonia). The jury awarded five main prizes. First Prize went to the Diagonal project by Polish architects Marta and Grzegorz Mączek. Second Prize went to Clara Copigli from the United States, and third prize went to Alfonso Di Sabato from Switzerland. The BB Student Award was won by a team consisting of: Fabian Gottfried, Yihao Ni from Germany, and the Aapparel Sustainability Award also went to a team from Germany: Lucas Yael Ibarra Lages, Cun Hernandez, Juliana Lareu.

The cottages relate to traditional regional architecture

The so-called short list included as many as six projects from Poland, among them the Green Cabin project by Antoni Grześkowiak and the Following the fire proposal by Aleksandra Adamska, Zofia Gancarczyk, Klaudia Kochanowska and Aleksandra Musiał students of the Faculty of Architecture at the Warsaw University of Technology.

Life in the cottage centers around the fireplace

around the fire

We began our design considerations by looking for patterns in traditional Latvian architecture. Inspired by simple, symmetrical spatial arrangements - the center of each of which was a stone hearth- we designed a form centered around the fire. We centered the various living functions (bedroom, bathroom, kitchen and dining room) around the clay fireplace, around which life would take place. This procedure makes the atmosphere of the interior closer to the occupant-traveler, giving him a space for respite and rest from travel. The warmth of the interior is emphasized by the use of lighter wood inside, contrasting with the dark exterior, the authors say.

The project is a combination of tradition and modern materials

a new look at latvian architecture

The designers also took care of the views from the outside - exposing the hearth by cutting out the corners from the traditional hut model and inserting glazing in their place. As a result, the glow of the fire and the materials used in the cottages penetrate outside and illuminate the immediate area.

We can compare this brightness to the light peeking over the horizon and directing the traveler," they add.

The entire structure was covered with a roof with protruding, closing eaves, referring to traditional construction. They form arcades under which one can rest while contemplating the views. Also working on the structure, the authors combined traditional patterns with new materials, such as CLT panels, which, sandwiched between prefabricated sumiks(horizontal logs inserted into gouges in the meadows) , allow for quick assembly of the whole.

The establishment also includes a sauna

The same construction and a similar form were used by the students for the buildings intended for the sauna, storage room and fireplace.

Each of them corresponds with each other and refers to the form of the main house, by using its elements in different configurations, for example, identical wall panels, which further improves prefabrication, they explain.

The path winds between the buildings

following the fire

The entire designed complex is set in a casual but designed landscape composition that opens up to views selected by the authors. A path of organic form runs through the site, which, by its shape, allows each object to be designated more private spaces. Along it are arranged a number of hearths (around which the objects in question were built in a later design phase) leading to the largest of them - a bonfire burning by the water.

The most important point is the bonfire by the river

In this way - in addition to the main access from the street, we marked the second possibility to visit the establishment - accentuated by the bonfire overlooking the water. Thus, the project becomes a journey behind the fire, thanks to which the user can get to know the visited area in detail and feel the spirit of the place, the center of which is centered on the picturesque river," conclude the students of Warsaw University of Technology.