Modern House 7 is a complex of small bungalows in Jastrzebia Gora, located just three hundred meters from the sea. The habitat, which is economical in form, is a project by Piotr Kowalczyk of Archmondo studio, with whom we talk about inspiration, work, investors' expectations and fast-flowing time.
The habitat is located in a picturesque setting, close to the beach and a historic lighthouse. The complex is made up of seven cottages, two of which are semi-detached, while the rest come in a single form of 50 square meters. Each structure is a self-contained holiday unit with a living room with kitchenette, bathroom and two bedrooms upstairs. All the cottages have similar shapes - built on an elongated rectangular plan with high windows and topped with a gabled roof. Breaking the monotony is the varied finishing materials - some elevations are white, while others are clad in planks. Thanks to the simple form, the small scale of the buildings and the introduction of greenery, the architect managed to create a pleasant common space for the entire establishment.
All the houses have similar shapes and are built on an elongated rectangular plan
© Archmondo
Dobrawa Bies: What were your assumptions and design inspirations?
Piotr Kowalczyk: It was to be in a maritime climate, but with class and a breath of freshness. Without unnecessary ornamentation and embellishment. There are several cottage complexes in the area. We wanted to show that you can bite such a theme a little differently. The complex was to stand out for its simplicity and good architecture. We also paid a lot of attention to the layout of the premise, aiming to create a pleasant space between the cottages.
Dobrawa: Did the maritime climate influence the design decisions and materials used?
Piotr Kowalczyk: Of course it did. You can see it in the scale of the establishment, in the interiors, and in the colors of the facades. We used the two materials most characteristic of maritime development - wood and white as separate modules, so the houses (at least in my opinion) are uniform, but very expressive, characterful.
Wood and white on the facades of the cottages
© Archmondo
Dobrawa: What did the investors expect? What was the design work like?
Piotr Kowalczyk: The work went very pleasantly. The investor trusted us completely and gave us a free hand. He also cared about good architecture. Of course he wanted to stand out from the competition, but fortunately the simplicity in our design was very much appreciated by him.
Dobrawa: Does designing recreational facilities differ from working on projects such as residential houses?
Piotr Kowalczyk: It's hard to say unequivocally - yes and no. Such recreational houses are a completely different scale of premise, other urban interiors. Here you want to feel the atmosphere of a vacation. The large number of users in a short period of time also affects the approach to arranging, if only the interiors of the buildings. Of course, let's remember that this is still architecture and certain elements, stages of the project are always repeated and give character and rhythm to the design work.
The complex is also formed by semi-detached houses
© Archmondo
Dobrawa: What elements are you most satisfied with, and what posed problems?
Piotr Kowalczyk: Probably the most with the arrangement of the space, the very layout of the houses, which was very carefully studied by our office. I think that was the most important, initial element of this project, and I am very satisfied with the final result. The problem was time. As is so often the case in life, the inexorable time to time all the permits before the season as requested by the investor. Fortunately, time took pity on us and we made it in time :)
Dobrawa: Thank you for the interview.
