Escaping the city does not necessarily mean moving out to the countryside. The dream of a suburban villa - remote enough and at the same time close enough to the center - is shared by many people. Finding such a place in the middle can be difficult, but not impossible. Krakow has many beautiful suburban neighborhoods, which, however, are quickly populated {tag:Studio} has found a way to provide privacy for their residents.
A screen is perhaps the simplest and most intuitive piece of furniture when you want to separate yourself from something or someone. It provides privacy, protects from drafts and unwanted glances. Bartholomew Drabik used a roof a bit like a screen in his project. Here, however, it is covered with plants.
Under a green roof
The house is part of an estate, one of ten single-family buildings. Nevertheless, looking at the photos, one gets the impression that the owners enjoy almost complete privacy. This happened thanks to the house's roof, which is set at a 45-degree angle. For the architect, an ecological approach to the project was important, so the northern roof of the building was covered with sedum trees, and photovoltaic cells were located on the well-sunned southern part. As the designer himself admits - the easiest solution was to use a traditional flat roof. However, this was not possible due to development conditions. As a result, a green area was created that far exceeded the site occupied by the building. Thus, it was possible to give back to nature more than was originally taken from it.
Another characteristic element of the house is the structure made of wooden beams, which form a rhomboidal pattern, a kind of "lining" of the roof and the house itself - the structure is exposed not only on the outside, but also on the inside.
The house behind the roof
Photo Bartłomiej Drabik
a house that lives
It can be said that the house of the Superhelix studio's design is alive - the greenery covering the roof is growing, and the Canadian cedar planks used to cover the facade are also changing. With the passing of time their color will turn silver-gray, they will acquire a noble patina. Sedums growing on the roof do not require much care, thanks to their natural ability to collect water.
The house sits on an area of 185 square meters, and is two-story - the first floor houses the living area, which includes a kitchen, guest room, toilet and utility room. A garage was built next to it, which was placed in the body of the building. On the first floor, a bedroom with a dressing room and bathroom was located, as well as two children's rooms, their bathroom and a playroom.
