Sebastian Krawczyk of the Wrocław University of Technology has designed a complex of single-family houses in Cracow on the edge of the Bielany-Tyniec Landscape Park, next to the Zakrzówek lagoon. The estate, made in accordance with the sustainable architecture trend, is an engineering thesis created under the direction of Dr. hab. arch. Anna Monika Bać, prof. of PWr.
The project is designed to provide homebuyers with comfortable living conditions that meet their needs and become an enclave of tranquility in the city. The natural building technology and modularity used are to favor the least possible interference and impact on the environment, promote innovative green technologies and correspond to the scenery of the area.
zero-emission housing estate in Krakow
© Sebastian Krawczyk
hemp concrete and ecology
The aim of the work was to create an estate using materials of natural origin as an alternative to traditional building products, resulting in a reduction in emissions of harmful substances generated by production, energy for their extraction and processing. Bulk, non-renewable materials that consume large amounts of energy, such as cement and concrete, as well as products containing toxic chemicals, fire retardants that threaten health, were excluded from the project. As an alternative, the author proposed a hemp-lime composite and a wooden support structure to create prefabricated building elements. The main advantage of hempcrete (hempcrete) is a minuscule carbon dioxide production rate.
The estate is made of modules
© Sebastian Krawczyk
Hemp concrete is made by wet-mixing hemp shives (pieces of woody stalks) with a lime-based binder. It has good insulating properties, is non-flammable, resistant to fungal and mold growth, and is fully recyclable. For his thesis, Sebastian Krawczyk developed a proprietary design of prefabricated building elements using hemp concrete and a wooden supporting frame. The prefabricated elements are brought to the construction site after the lime-concrete composite has completely hardened and fastened together.
The dwellings are available in eight versions
© Sebastian Krawczyk
modules tailored to residents
The author adopted a single common design module to develop the floor plans and urban planning. The concept of modularity of the buildings is to provide residents with the possibility of easy changes while creating a coherent and harmonious architectural premise. The designed ensemble of single-family houses demonstrates the possibilities of adapting the technology to different audiences. For the purpose of the work, Sebastian Krawczyk adopted eight profiles of users: a single, a couple of friends, a married couple, a couple expecting a child, a 2+1 family, a 2+2 family, an elderly couple - a person with a mobility disability, a two-generation family or a couple renting part of the house to a 2+2 family. At the same time, each building is a transitional stage, whether enlarging or reducing a particular model.
buildings are adapted to residents
© Sebastian Krawczyk
On the next page, read about the urban layout and natural solutions.
