This is another award for Kamila Szatanowska and Paulina Rogalskaya of the Fala Architektura studio. This time the architects created a project of unusual houses, for which they received an honorable mention in the international competition entitled "Tree House Module. "Tree House Module" organized by Young Architect Competitions in cooperation with Dartagnans.
The goal of the competition was to design a childhood dream - a tree house. Participants were asked to recall memories, rediscover old childhood sketches and create a dream building where silence and wind live together with wild nature. For the realization of the projects, one could choose one of three picturesque locations in France: Mothe Chandeniers, Ebaupinay and Vibrac.
The facilities are located near the ruins of Mothe Chandeniers
© FALA Architecture
relaxation surrounded by historic architecture
Hundreds of projects from all over the world were submitted to the competition. Among them was a project by Polish female architects, for the location of which they chose the vicinity of the Mothe Chandeniers ruins.
As the authors say about the beginning of their work and inspiration:
The intimate and mysterious atmosphere of French locations with pearls of medieval architecture sunk in idyllic greenery, accompanied by water reflections, fields and meadows reaching the end of our vision... Sounds like an ideal place for relaxation, self-exploration and inspiration. How to make the most of the qualities of the locations we find, while not disturbing their character and harmony? What and how do we want to experience? With these questions, the project began. We pay homage to nature and the existing structure. We weave into it, we soak in it, both physically and metaphorically. We create a place of contemplation, relaxation, silence. This is what we seek in the treetops, in the idyllic landscape of the French countryside overlooking the massive structure of historic architecture that has resisted the passage of time. The ruins filled with greenery, annexed by it, form a kind of backdrop for the complex stories that had their end or beginning there, the imaginations, the mystery. Their stability and experience carved in stone inspire humility. A morning overlooking their majesty in the soothing light piercing between the leaves of the trees can become an ideal start to the day and a backdrop for meditation. After dusk, when fog rises over the water and fields, the sun gives way to moonlight, the mysterious mood grows stronger....
The facilities are fully mobile, modular and freely reconfigurable
© FALA Architecture
Following this pattern, Kamila Szatanowska and Paulina Rogalska designed objects that change depending on the time of day. At night, the houses create the effect of levitating lanterns between the treetops, and during the day they disappear into the trees thanks to the mirrored cladding. From the mezzanines of the objects, one can enjoy a panoramic view of the entire surroundings, including the sky.
mobile and modular objects
Thegeometry of the designed objects was taken from the finials of the Mothe-Chandeniers and Ebaupinay ruins. The elongated proportion is also derived from the proportions of the window and door openings of the existing architecture.
The cabins change according to the time of day
© FALA Architecture
The cabin is fully mobile, modular and freely reconfigurable thanks to three modules:
- Module A is a living base containing a living room, bathroom, technical facilities and bedrooms with space for storing essentials. The exterior dimensions of the module allow for easy transportation, which enables full prefabrication. The interior is designed for up to three users. The transparent mezzanine area contains a double bed and a rearrangable space - at night: a bed for one person, and during the day: a meditation or rest area. The module is made with a wooden structure and equipped with hooks that allow it to be suspended from ropes with clamps on tree trunks, without bottom support.
- Module B is a wooden substructure that allows the base to be elevated into the treetops in situations where we do not have the ability to suspend it.
- ModuleC is the spa area, which consists of a private sauna and a semi-outdoor relaxation area separated by an openwork of wooden slats.
Modules B and C can be used interchangeably to support a ground-floor building. In warm and sunny weather, it is possible to regulate the intensity of light inside the building through automatically operated wooden, razor-shaped interior blinds.
prefabricated wooden system
antersola is designed for a rest and meditation area
© FALA Architecture
The designed cabin assumes an independent installation system, the form and operation of which is based on the functionality of RVs (motor homes), which gives the possibility to relocate them freely. The structure of the building is based entirely on prefabricated wood systems. The interior was designed in light wood cladding, with the C-module slats in a burnt wood form, contrasting with the reflective base. The architects also proposed the use of a gray water recovery system and a composting toilet.
See also another award-winning design for meditation cabins by FALA Architecture.
elaborated by Dobrawa Bies
illustrations courtesy of Fala Architecture
