TheMatched House by {tag:pracownie} was quite a design challenge. The investors asked for a modern building, with a flat roof and a covered area in the garden for relaxation. The large plot of land, located in Poznań, allowed the architects freedom in shaping the body of the building, which, despite an extensive functional program, was to be cheap to operate.
Architects Filip Banach and Paula Banach decided to take advantage of the advantages of the large plot and lay out the functional layout of the house in a model way in relation to the sides of the world, so as to optimally illuminate the interiors and take care of the appropriate energy balance of the building. They located all rooms so that the sun would accompany the residents during the natural cycle of the day.
© TRZY.BE Architects
living with the rhythm of the sun
We openedthe bedrooms of all household members to the southeast. Thanks to this treatment, the residents will wake up naturally as the sun begins to illuminate the bedrooms. The living area of the house, consisting of a living room connected to the dining room and kitchen, opens to the southwest. This way, when householders return from work/school they will be able to spend time in the living room, dining room, and garden in the afternoon sunshine, the architects explain.
The mass of the private part crosses the first floor of the living area
© TRZY.BE Architects
Thanks to this approach to the layout of the rooms, the architects have achieved two intersecting directions. By superimposing the body of the private part on the body of the first floor living area, they naturally obtained a terrace and overhang, giving the possibility to relax outdoors even in the rain.
The overhang itself is designed in such a way that in summer it protects the living room from the rays of light that can excessively heat the room, while in winter it lets in the rays and illuminates the interior on sunny days. All this has been dressed in an elegant, simple form, where natural brick and white plaster gently blend in with the surroundings, the authors add.
The architects created a modern house with a simple form
© TRZY.BE Architects
Dobrawa Bies: The Matching House consists of two simple, superimposed blocks with varied facades. What were the design inspirations?
Filip Banach: We don't approach the building as a sculpture, which is created by an architect and should only be admired. We keep in mind that a house is first and foremost a space that is meant to serve all the occupants of the house. Always at the beginning of the design process we try to get to know our investors as well as possible, to understand how their families live, what their needs, passions or plans for the future are. We try to create a space whose way of functioning will respond to the current and future needs of investors, so that everyone feels comfortable in it. We fold the results of these analyses with an analysis of the existing environment in which the house is to be built, which is influenced by the surrounding buildings, nature, views we want to open up to (or not) and the directions of the world. All this we try to encapsulate in a simple, timeless and elegant architecture. To sum up the answer to this question, we can say that our inspiration is man and how he lives. I think the closest to our way of designing is the slogan derived from modernism - form follows function.
The facades are made of hand-formed clinker bricks
© TRZY.BE Architects
Dobrawa: Please tell us about the materials and solutions used in the Matched House.
Filip Banach: In the project we used a three-layer wall with hand-formed clinker brick on the facade. It is a completely natural and beautiful material that is unique due to its manufacturing method. Each batch of bricks that is fired comes out differently. In addition, the selection of bricks during the bricklaying of the wall is of great importance. We were very fortunate to come across an experienced contractor who executed the facade perfectly. It is an extremely weather-resistant, low-maintenance material that takes on character over time. An additional advantage of this wall construction is that by using an air void between the façade brick and the thermal insulation, we also protect the house from excessive heating from the sun. The house uses a ground-source heat pump, which we use to heat the house, combined with an additional module that allows the whole-floor plane passive cooling of the house in summer. Mechanical ventilation with recuperation is also used.
Matching House in the evening
© TRZY.BE Architects
Dobrawa: What do you think a modern house should be characterized by?
Filip Banach: We live in wonderful times, being able to observe the incredible pace of development of technology. At the same time, the lifestyle of modern people is completely different than it was even twenty years ago. We have definitely more stuffed calendars with daily duties related to work, family or our own interests, and we shouldn' t waste our time servicing the house, just enjoy being in it.
We believe that modern homes should take advantage of the technology available, becoming more autonomous, doing a lot of things for us, such as turning the lights on and off based on the presence detection in the rooms, or twilight detectors turning on pre-programmed lighting scenes, starting the mowing of the garden, watering the lawn or controlling the temperature in the rooms as needed. Not to mention automatically opening the garage door or door when the house detects that you are approaching it. An additional element is to use the available technology in such a way that, in addition to making our lives easier and more comfortable, the choices we make regarding the operation of the house or finishing materials will take into account our shared responsibility for the environment. What I mean by this is that we should design our homes in such a way that their parameters come close to those of low-energy or even passive houses, and the facade materials used should be natural or as easy to recycle as possible.
Dobrawa: Thank you for the interview.
