Rhythm - is one of the basic means of architectural expression, which builds aesthetic quality, a sense of logic of spatial and structural structure. Vitruvius already wrote about rhythm in the context of architecture, and today his lessons have been taken to heart by the designers of the Warsaw studio EXTERIO, who designed the Rhythmic Residence for their client.
Warsaw-based architectural studio EXTERIO specializes in designing grandiose residences - one of them even hosted recordings for the reality show hosted by Doda. The latest project is located in a suburban Warsaw town, and its theme is rhythm.
Rhythmic Residence
Photo: Yassen Hristov © EXTERIO
in the name of privacy
In this project everything was subordinated to the strict rules of geometry and rhythm, from which, incidentally, the building takes its name. The rhythmic residence stood on a rectangular plot with a garden. The layout of the new building, whose projection resembles the shape of the letter "L", was adapted to these circumstances. Thanks to such a distribution of masses, the wing of the house, hidden in the depth of the plot, creates an intimate space, shielded from prying eyes. Here the elevations are almost entirely glazed. For the same reasons, the main entrance to the building is also located on the garden side.
Rhythmic Residence
Photo: Yassen Hristov © EXTERIO
The Rhythmic Residence is a two-story building, with elevations significantly set back behind the edges of the flat roof. In the elevations, the first floor is separated from the second floor by a massive cornice, which creates arcades and platforms for the terraces located on the second floor. The entire building is finished with white plaster, ceramic sinters and wood.
Rhythmic Residence
Photo: Yassen Hristov © EXTERIO
upstairs roses, downstairs guests
The homeowners have 300 square meters of usable space at their disposal, which is laid out within two above-ground floors. The architects opted for a classic functional division of the space. On the first floor are located common rooms, where both household members and guests can comfortably stay. Thus, there are a kitchen, a dining room, a study and a two-story living room. In this case, it serves as a buffer transition zone, separating the semi-public spaces on the first floor from the private part on the first floor. It has room for five bedrooms, two bathrooms and a small lounge area, located above the empty space separated above the ground-floor living room. A garage with a separate bike room is also adjacent to the house.
Rhythmic Residence
Photo: Yassen Hristov © EXTERIO
in the rhythm of architecture
The biggest distinguishing feature of the Rhythmic Residence is its facades. It was the way they were solved that gave the name to the EXTERIO studio's realization. The rhythm here is, of course, determined by the windows and the wood-lined panels separating them. That's not all, however. The residence is covered with a flat roof, which significantly protrudes in front of the building's facades, creating deep arcades around the house. From the edge of the roof there are square-shaped pillars that partially obscure the space inside the arcades. The pillars are arranged in groups, and in each group the spacing of the pillars varies slightly, adding variety to the rhythmic play on the building's facade. The height of the pillars also varies in different parts of the house - in some sections their dimensions reflect the division into floors, while in others they extend from the ground floor to the roof.
Rhythmic Residence
Photo: Yassen Hristov © EXTERIO
play of light and shadows
The function of the supports is twofold. In addition to their aesthetic value, they also serve as elements that break up the light coming into the interiors through the large windows and provide additional privacy. Interestingly, the rhythm is preserved not only vertically, but also horizontally. Some of the building's arcades are openwork and crisscrossed with horizontal columns that form pergola-like structures. It is a pity that real vegetation was not placed on them. The horizontal dimension of rhythm in the suburban residence is also accented by heavy horizontal cornices that visually separate the floors.
Rhythmic Residence
Photo credit: Yassen Hristov © EXTERIO
