Anyone who has been to the Klodzko Valley at least once knows how magical the place is. In this sprawling green land full of atmospheric towns, which was particularly beloved by Polish Nobel Prize winner Olga Tokarczuk, Agata Kotlicka and Hugon Kowalski of the Poznan studio UGO Architecture created a conceptual design of a rather unusual house....
house in the mountains
© UGO Architecture
on the other side of the mirror
Blended into the slope, depending on which side you look at it, theblock looks completely different - it can be an archetypal house covered with a gabled roof, partially floating above the ground, or it can be its mirror image supported on the ridge of the upside-down roof.
axonometry
© UGO Architecture
Despite the duality of form, the body of the mountain house is coherent and compact - its central and common part is formed by a cuboid, from the side walls of which on two sides "grow" roofs facing in opposite directions - up and down.
silver lump
From the outside, from the top of one roof to the finial of the other, the house is coated with a unifying body "shell" of silver corrugated sheet metal. The exterior's somewhat austere walls, as intended by the architects at UGO Architecture, contrast with what's planned for the interior - cozy, homey spaces filled with wood and plywood.
The 
The house is integrated into a steep slope
© UGO Architecture
Architects from Hugon Kowalski's studio talk about what the unusual shape of the house is due to and what challenges the construction may involve.
Ola Kloc: The house in the mountains is formed by two blocks - an archetypal house on a rectangular plan covered with a gabled roof and its mirror image, visually based on the ridge. What is the reason for such a shape of the house?
UGO: The shape of the body of the building is due to the location of the terrace "on the roof", the possibility of connecting it with the living area, which consists of a living room with kitchen and dining room. The second floor is a kind of winter and summer living room - in summer it is the terrace that is the main point of life, and in winter the living room with a large glass window open to the view of the mountains. The first floor of the building is formed by the night zone - bedrooms with individual terraces, and the -1 floor is the entrance area along with technical and accompanying rooms (for example, bike and ski storage).
The 
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the shape of the solid determines the location of the terrace "on the roof"
© UGO Architecture
Ola: The body of the building is covered with bright sheet metal from the outside, while the interior is dominated by a wooden "total look", where did you get the idea for such a choice of materials and textures?
UGO: The facade cladding was designed from corrugated sheet metal in silver, a natural color for this material. It is meant to protect the block, to provide visual security. The interiors of the terrace and living room were clad with wooden planks and plywood, highlighting the forest surroundings. The warm, natural texture is meant to allude to the homey and family atmosphere of the building.
The 
warm, natural structure of finishing materials is to refer to the homely and family atmosphere of the building
© UGO Architecture
Ola: What kind of structural challenges can construction involve?
UGO: There are many challenges to building in such a location. In addition to the structure of the building and the illusion of keeping the whole block on the ridge, the construction site itself would involve huge liabilities. The building is located on a hill with a natural road leading up to it. The organization and logistics of the work would have to be very coordinated.
Ola: Thank you for the interview.
