Work submitted to the Halina Skibniewskaya student competition - HEALTHY HOUSE
The project was created in the Sustainable Architecture Studio led by Dr. Tomasz Piwiński. The project was located in Głuszyna - a small Wielkopolska village near Poznań with a characteristic, still visible layout of a former oval. Currently, its character and layout is disturbed by new, chaotic developments. The answer to the problem was the previously prepared urban planning concept for a new part of Gluszyn, which will fill housing needs without disturbing the character of the village. The presented project is an attempt to create a contemporary country house in Wielkopolska, which at the same time meets the principles of sustainable construction.
view of the house from the path
© Joanna Lipnicka, Eryk Szczepanski
The building has been oriented with respect to the sides of the world to ensure optimal supply of solar energy. Positioned at an angle to the line of the road, the building divided the square plot into two distinct parts - the front, semi-public part, with a small courtyard and front garden, and the larger rear part with a southern garden overlooking the panorama of old Gluszyn with the St. James Church towering over it. The rear area is also set aside for a vegetable garden and a spacious terrace.
landscaping of the plot
© Joanna Lipnicka, Eryk Szczepański
The building took the form of a compact block on a rectangular plan with a gabled roof, which is optimal for keeping warm and reminiscent of traditional rural buildings. The composition was differentiated by separating the unheated garage from the main body of the building and adding a wooden wall between them. The southern slope of the roof at a 40-degree angle was extended to provide more space for photovoltaic panels. The south elevation was withdrawn and filled with large glazing which will allow plenty of light in winter and shade in the summer months. The main entrance to the building was placed in a "cut-out" corner of the first floor, which provides protection from the weather.
axonometry of the house
© Joanna Lipnicka, Eryk Szczepanski
The project was created for a family of three - a married couple of retirement age and an adult daughter living with them. This resulted in a functional division of the building - the first floor became a common space and a space for the parents, the attic was allocated for the daughter to ensure her privacy and independence.
Living room with dining room and access to the terrace
© Joanna Lipnicka, Eryk Szczepanski
In the ground floor, a semi-open kitchen with a pantry, a large living room with a dining room, a piano and access to the terrace, a technical room, a toilet, a small office for the father, and a large parents' bedroom with a dressing room and its own bathroom were planned. On the first floor, a laundry room, a small semi-open living room, the daughter's office and her bedroom with a dressing room and bathroom are designed.
first floor plan
© Joanna Lipnicka, Eryk Szczepański
In addition to the shape of the body itself, the house was planned with additional solutions and energy-saving devices. The building was set on an insulated foundation slab and a heavy floor was introduced to accumulate heat. The structure of the building was made in a wooden MHM system with high thermal parameters.
The heating source in the building is a heat pump
© Joanna Lipnicka, Eryk Szczepański
The heating source in the building is a heat pump with a ground heat exchanger located on the south side of the garden. The pump is equipped with a hot water tank and a buffer tank. The heat is distributed through surface, underfloor heating. The facility also includes a mechanical ventilation system with recuperation and a photovoltaic system with panels on the pitched roof. Rainwater is collected in a reservoir buried in the garden and distributed through drainage in the garden.
material solutions
© Joanna Lipnicka, Eryk Szczepanski
The exterior of the building uses materials reminiscent of traditional Gluszyn buildings. The façade was covered with larch wood - vertical narrow scantlings forming the planes of the walls and wide boards introducing the division of floors and framing the windows. The wood was contrasted with smooth fiber cement panels on one of the walls. On the roof, a flat ceramic tile in light red was provided, as well as galvanized gutters and downpipes. The building's facade is to be left unprotected so that the building will change and the wood will naturally gray and darken, increasingly blending with its surroundings.
Joanna Lipnicka, Eryk Szczepanski
Illustrations: © Authors
