One day we need a little privacy, another we want to enjoy the view of the surrounding space. One and the other are provided by the solutions used in the Obscure House, the design of which is the responsibility of the Z3Z ARCHITEKCI studio. See the faces of the house, whose form was defined by an old tree.
As the authors of the project inform, the complex shape of the building's body is the result of many different factors, primarily the existing tree stand on the plot, the significant slope of the land and the investors' guidelines.
Overgrown House
Photo: PhotoRadar © Z3Z Architects
architectural puzzle
The Obscured House basically consists of two blocks - a two-story residential section, which took on a shape similar to the outline of the letter "L", and a cuboidal utility section, which was located perpendicular to the residential block and deftly slid under its second story. The result is an arrangement of two interlocking volumes that fit together like a glove.
The Obscured House
Photo credit: PhotoRadar © Z3Z Architects
Despite the fact that the impassable building line allowed building 5m from the road, the house was designed 1.7m deeper, and the garage was "pushed" to the southern part of the plot, so that the elongated curved entrance spreads the significant level difference of 1m between the garage and the road in a more balanced way. The garage door located on the side created a spacious maneuvering and parking space. Another measure to minimize the slope of the entrance was to lower the utility block, which includes the garage, dressing room, boiler room, utility room and pantry; relative to the rest of the first floor by 0.5m.
- write the architects on their realization.
The Obscured House
Photo: PhotoRadar © Z3Z Architects
a house with two faces
The Obscured House has two, diametrically opposed faces. On the eastern side, located on the access road, viewers are confronted with a silent block, composed of two interlocking blocks. The glazed facades of the residential part have been separated from the sight of passersby by means of apertures composed of bronze fins, which can be opened or closed by electronic controls.
The privacy of the night part from the road is provided by shutters with lamellas. This is the element that defines the house from the front. For a passerby, an observer from the outside, the house is closed, "obscured", the window openings when the house is closed disappear and even a skilled eye will have trouble finding them.
House Obscured
© Z3Z Architects
The first floor of the residential block was undercut at a sharp angle, giving the facade a dynamic look. The perpendicularly located technical part was entirely devoid of window openings. The surfaces of the blind walls were covered with quartz sinter panels, imitating brown marbles. The garage entrance, completely invisible before the garage door is raised, was hidden behind them. Other parts of the house were finished with dark clinker tiles. The west elevation was made much more boldly open to the surroundings.
The Obscured House
Photo credit: PhotoRadar © Z3Z Architects
a house defined by a tree
One of the most valuable elements of the plot on which the Obscured House is located is an old tulip tree. This is a tree, reaching up to 35 meters in height in Polish conditions, which when mature in the spring blooms with yellow-orange flowers, resembling tulips in their shape. Its location on the plot had a major impact on the shape of the building's body and the arrangement of its functional zones. In order to provide householders with the best possible view of the garden overgrown with old trees, including the aforementioned tulip tree, the architects decided to place all living spaces, including the living room, kitchen with dining room and upstairs rooms on the west side. The walls facing the garden were interspersed with triads of window openings, which allowed for an unobstructed view of the surrounding nature.
Obscured House
Photo: PhotoRadar © Z3Z Architects
terrace on terrace chases terrace
In the patch of land sheltered by the body of the house, the architects arranged a terrace, over which spans a pergola, supported by two poles, shaped in the likeness of the letter "V". On the pergola sits the base of another terrace, which can be accessed from two rooms on the first floor. In order not to disturb the streamlined body of the building, instead of classic metal railings, the designers opted for partitions made of glass. From ground level, the balcony is therefore basically invisible.
The Obscured House
Photo credit: PhotoRadar © Z3Z Architects
living room with breath
The interiors are a mix of extremely spacious, airy spaces and slightly more intimate rooms. The most impressive thing here may be the living room, which is two stories high (in this case, this gives a total of 6 meters), full of glazing, with walls finished with dark wood. It is from the living room that homebuyers get to the more private part of the building, located on the first floor. There is no classic staircase there - instead, it was decided to overhang a mezzanine above the living room, which is reached by a two-legged staircase with discreet glass balustrades.
Overhung House
Photo credit: PhotoRadar © Z3Z Architects
On the first floor, accessed through a corridor leading from the mezzanine, two rooms are located on the west side - a bathroom with a sauna and a spacious master bedroom. Both are equipped with terraces, with the one accessible from the bedroom integrated into an alcove created by pulling back the block at this point. The architects have also provided a room on the first floor for a child who will have the opportunity to grow up surrounded by a beautiful garden.
