We are increasingly seeking solace and rest from everyday life and the hustle and bustle of the polluted city in close, calming contact with nature. So, like mushrooms after the rain, more slow initiatives are "sprouting up" to meet the needs of people tired of the often too fast and overwhelming rhythm of life, such as the new project of a network of micro-hotels under the affectionate and promising name UKOI.
The mobile homes designed for leisure or the increasingly popular workation, that is, a combination of work (work) and vacation (vacation), is an initiative of Bartlomiej Kraciak, a Warsaw entrepreneur who co-created, among others, the premises of Syreni Spiew and the SARP Award-winning Baba Yaga's House - Bookworm Cabin designed by POLE Architekci and Nikodem Rozbicki, a popular actor of the younger generation. The Warsaw-based Moszczyńska Puchalska Studio of Architecture, which has another project in the spirit of slow, the wooden and atmospheric Dom w Gniazdowie, is responsible for the design of the UKOI house.
view from inside the cottage
© UKOI
The name UKOI, as the project's initiators explain, comes from the word "soothe," meaning to have a soothing, calming influence. Situated in secluded, somewhat wild, though well-connected to the city locations, the small mobile homes are meant to give users a sense of comfort and refuge, an opportunity to hole up among nature.
The body of the micro-hotel itself is quite simple, covered by a gabled, partially glazed roof. A bedroom has been arranged on a rectangular plan - a bed with a view of the sky, located under the aforementioned glazed part of the canopy and part of the facade, and a kitchen with a small bathroom.
functional layout of the interior
© UKOI
The structure of the house is wooden, filled with natural insulation. Interestingly, the design process turned out to be more complicated than with a traditional house (i.e., founded on foundations), due to the requirements made by the mobility of this bungalow. It is founded on a two-axle trailer made of steel. As a result, it must maintain sufficient rigidity and balance, as well as fit within certain dimensions (width max. 225 cm, length 660 cm, height up to 4 m with trailer) and weight (up to 3.5 tons). The weight criterion is the most difficult to meet and requires the selection of appropriate materials. We see these limitations as challenges and opportunities, to develop non-standard solutions for the benefit of users, the environment and even construction costs," explains Bartlomiej Kraciuk.
As the duo behind the UKOI concept emphasizes, the project itself is ecological, the house will be made of natural materials, all its elements are to be recyclable, and thanks to off-grid photovoltaic panels - it will be completely self-sufficient.
We are guided by the 3 x ZERO principle: Zero concrete, zero bulldozers, zero cutting down of trees, " says Nikodem Rozbicki. - We wanted to create a non-invasive project that blends in with the surroundings and does not disturb the existing ecosystem. In such a balance we see the future of tourism," adds Bartlomiej Kraciuk.
most important cottage features
© UKOI
As the creators of UKOI announce, the first cottages are expected to welcome guests as early as spring 2022. Will they succeed in repeating the success of Bookworm Cabin?
