A {tag:studenci} from the Academy of Fine Arts in Gdansk designed a special rest house moored to the shore of Lake Dabrowskie in Golub Kashub. The base of the object is a float, on which the designer proposed a structure made of CLT panels and recycled wood. The simple body of the cottage refers to the surrounding architecture, and from its mezzanine you can admire the starry sky at night.
The main structural element of the cottage is CLT panels
© Urszula Krauze
The project was carried out under the direction of Dr. Tomasz Zmyślony as part of a semester-long assignment for the Interior Design course at the Academy of Fine Arts in Gdansk. The goal of the challenge was to create an object away from the hustle and bustle of the city, moored in a selected location, designed on a 7×4.4 meter float. The object was to be a place where the author would come to relax, reset and focus on her design work. As the location, Urszula Krauze chose Lake Dabrowskie in Golub Kashub, which she has known since childhood.
As the location of the project, the author chose Dabrowskie Lake
© Urszula Krauze
relaxing on the lake
My float is located 300 meters from the nearest farm, and the nearby area is covered with forests, then clearings and wetlands. The place from which you can access the cottage is a small grassy promontory protruding from between the trees. This is an ideal location for relaxing by the lake without the hustle and bustle of nearby bathing beaches," says the author.
The shape of the designed block refers to the surrounding architecture - simple summer cottages and coastal boat hangars. To diversify it, the designer gave the house asymmetry and dynamics. Meanwhile, in order to make the best use of natural light, she decided to glaze the roof slope with reflective glass. Views from the interior of the cottage are framed - in the northern direction horizontally, and in the western direction they allow to admire the end of the lake.
lake house project, projections and sections
© Urszula Krauze
open house
The entrance to the house from the shore is seemingly hidden behind an alcove with no clear division. The entire front wall of the building is made of pivot panels in a pivot system (including the front door).
This is part of a concept I call an open house - the panels can rotate around their own axis and slide along the width of the building. On a summer day, we can slide the wall to the edge and spread the windows on the opposite side, so we have an open space and can use the interior like a terrace, getting as close to the environment as possible. In addition, this solution gives us the ability to control the sunlight coming into the interior and control the interaction with the shore," explains the designer.
The interior of the cottage is finished with wood
© Urszula Krauze
CLT panels and recycled wood
The CLT (Cross Laminated Timber) boards, from which it was made, are an important element shaping the whole block. Cross Laminated Timber pine boards were used in the design of the interior and exterior. Another building material is old recycled slats, which cover part of the exterior side of the pivot structure. These mimic the risers that can be seen in the surrounding forest landscape. The author enhanced these two basic materials with white elements such as window woodwork, steel stairs, fireplace and fixtures.
A multifunctional building runs across the entire width of the site
© Urszula Krauze
focus on the landscape
The author wanted the users to be surrounded by nature, so she placed the most important emphasis on the landscape from behind the windows, which she surrounded with warm wooden finishes inside the cottage. Under the glazing, a multifunctional development runs across the entire width of the building, starting with a firewood storage area, a table, storage areas, a kitchen and ending with an under-sink cabinet.
We can use the designed countertop at will and it can serve many functions. When we open the windows, we can sit on its edge, sticking out our legs like on a bridge," adds Urszula Krauze.
When we open the windows, we can sit on the edge of the tabletop, sticking out our legs like on a bridge
© Urszula Krauze
The interior is one open space with only separate zones. At the entrance level there is a living area for relaxation and work, a kitchen and a bathroom separated by a partition. On the mezzanine level there is a sleeping area where you can quiet down and admire the stars in the sky.
On the mezzanine there is a bedroom
© Urszula Krauze
This solution is special to me because, being a child, it always gave me the greatest satisfaction when I visited Golub to sleep in such a loft. The design of the shelter on the water is an oasis of happiness and peace for me, I think I would find myself there like nowhere else," concludes the author.
