Wood is the future of architecture, or at least that is the hope of those who are not indifferent to the fate of our planet. In part, these hopes seem to be realized by Habitat 19, a project for an ecological apartment building that will soon be built in Zabrze. Full of innovative solutions and bold inspirations, the concept was developed by Katowice-based BaH studio.
CLT technology, although still far from being a standard solution, is slowly making its way into Polish architecture. Projects such as the Library in Choszczówka by Ambient studio or the office building in Wielu near Koscierzyna designed by APA Wojciechowski are paving the way for contemporary wooden architecture. CLT is also eagerly used in the construction of houses, but the situation is different in the case of residential and multi-family residential buildings. Here, buildings made of concrete still dominate, although in foreign realizations it is wood that is increasingly boldly used for the construction of blocks of apartments and apartment buildings. It looks like Poland will soon join these countries, too, thanks to a bold project by BaH studio. Meet Habitat 19!
Habitat 19 in Zabrze
© BaH Studio
spatial puzzle
Habitat 19 is a complicated puzzle. Due to the shape of the terrain, which is not flat, but gently slopes in the direction of the whole will be founded on a one-story, partially dug-in plinth, which will house the entrances to the technical parts and the most important passageways of the building. At the rear of the building, where the site is elevated, gardens are planned for residents of the lowest-lying units.
Internal structure of the Habitat 19 building
drawing: BaH Studio
On a reinforced concrete pedestal, the architects planned 10 two-story residential modules in the form of rectangular cubes, with a total of 19 units, which is where the building's name comes from. The individual blocks have been moved away from each other, which made it possible to create a labyrinth of passages and corridors, which, as Mateusz Blonski explains, are reminiscent of narrow Mediterranean streets. Three interior patios, located at the height of different floors, were cut out of this complex structure. Each patio will serve as a light well and a space for neighborhood integration and biodiversity development. The whole structure is covered with green roofs with four vertices and triangular slopes.
Schematic of space shaping
pic: BaH Studio
The residential units will be built using prefabricated CLT technology, or so-called glulam, the use of which not only significantly reduces CO₂ emissions generated by construction, but also fits in with the tenets of the circular economy. In its spirit, care has also been taken to manage rainwater, which will be stored year-round in retention tanks and then used to water plants on the building site. Leaves that fall in autumn will in turn be processed into fertilizer that will feed future generations of plants. The wood will come from a reliable supplier - OMFO has helped in such projects as the still under construction Forest Education Center in Raciborz and the Botanical Garden in Marszewo.
Habitat 19 in Zabrze
© BaH Studio
scenographic architecture
Habitat 19 is a multi-view architecture, shaped in a scenographic way. With a complex spatial structure, the units will provide an experience somewhat similar to living in a single-family home. The entrances to each unit will be on different floors, as they will be accessible from the level of interior patios and corridors, which residents will access through a common entrance on the first floor of the building and a circulation riser located in its center. The thicket of alleys and corridors created between individual residential modules will allow to create a diverse space, with views of the building's individual blocks and its green surroundings.
Biodiversity in the Habitat 19 building
drawing: BaH Studio
6 x eco
A factor that is usually taken into account when designing urban green public spaces is biodiversity. This issue is a little worse in the case of building design, which is hardly surprising - after all, in most cases, the space previously in the dominion of nature is replaced by an anthropogenic creation. In the case of Habitat 19, however, architects from BaH studio also thought about this issue, highlighting several areas where their design can support biodiversity in the city.
Habitat 19 in Zabrze
© BaH Studio
The first of the solutions came as early as the spatial layout of the building. The breaking up of the building's body into four parts and the integration of internal patios and green roofs are intended to counteract the closing of ecological corridors, the course of which could be disrupted by the introduction of a new volume. In the case of Habitat 19, this is all the more important because the planned building is located on Staromiejska Street, on the edge of Zabrze's City Park.
Habitat 19 in Zabrze
© BaH Studio
In order to protect biodiversity , the plants that will be on the facades, roofs and green spaces around the building were carefully selected. In cooperation with landscape architecture specialists, the architects selected 28 local species of herbs and shrubs, adapted to the Polish climate, posing no threat to native flora and creating a great environment for pollinating insects. The latter, but also birds, will be served by special drinkers, providing access to fresh water. The large amount of greenery planned around the building, on its roofs and facades, and in the interiors of the patios is intended to create a healthy microclimate for all Habitat 19 residents, not just people.
Habitat 19 in Zabrze
© BaH Studio
Clinker and green, and wood in the post scriptum
What, paradoxically, may surprise most about Habitat 19's design are its subdued facades. Typically, buildings built using cross-laminated timber technology clearly communicate the material from which they are made. It is difficult to see this as a negative phenomenon - with their natural elevations and bold forms they contribute to the promotion of contemporary wooden architecture, the use of wood to cover the exterior walls is, moreover, in keeping with the spirit of these projects, which limit the use of other materials to a minimum. There are also buildings that have little in common with CLT technology, although they greet their audience with wooden wall cladding. However, the context does not always allow for this kind of action. In the case of the Zabrze project of the BaH studio, the fact of the use of wooden construction remains for the knowledge of those involved, the residents and the planet itself, which has been spared tons of carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere.
Habitat 19 in Zabrze
© BaH Studio
The design of Habitat 19 visually fits into its immediate surroundings, which are at the intersection of two worlds. On one side, the projected building is surrounded by 19th-century townhouses covered with red brick, characteristic of Upper Silesia. Just behind it, in turn, the green areas of the City Park begin. The components of both these environments are reflected in the facades of Habitat 19, which will be covered with red clinker. The architects took care of a little twist here, because on the walls of the upper floors the clinker elements will be arranged not across, but vertically.
Habitat 19 in Zabrze
© BaH Studio
Integration with the natural area, in turn, will be taken care of by pots with solitary shrubs placed on all balconies of the designed apartment building. Like the nearby park, the facades of Habitat 19 will thus change with the seasons, turning green in spring and summer, shimmering with a fever of colorful leaves in autumn, and finally falling in winter to reveal plant skeletons. The resemblance to Studio Boeri' s Bosco Verticale skyscraper is not coincidental here, as Mateusz Białek, co-owner of Studio BaH and one of the project's authors, had the opportunity to study under Prof. Stefano Boeri.
Habitat 19 in Zabrze
© BaH Studio
CLT - both people and the planet need it
If we want to save the planet from irreversible degradation, environmentally friendly building solutions, such as CLT wood construction technology, must become a standard in the architecture of the future. We need it not only in office buildings and public facilities, but also, and perhaps especially, in residential buildings. And while Habitat 19 by any measure falls into the category of apartment buildings, the hope is that it is precisely these kinds of innovative projects that will pave the way for the wider use of wood technologies in multifamily construction, including the more affordable ones.
If you want to learn more about wood in contemporary architecture, feel free to download the latest issue of A&B!
