Inspired by the design of "New Types of Wooden Houses" by Bohdan Lachert and Jozef Szanajca, {tag:studenci} from the Warsaw University of Technology, he proposed a contemporary version of a summer settlement. He chose the Młochowski Forest area near Warsaw as the location, and designed the houses themselves from prefabricated, repetitive modules made of wood.
The presented project is an engineering thesis carried out at the Faculty of Architecture of the Warsaw University of Technology under the direction of Jan Mazur.
In 1926 Bohdan Lachert and Jozef Szanajca made a project for "New types of wooden houses" for sawmill workers in the Młochowski Forest near Warsaw. The idea was to create several types from which a settlement could be built. The structures were to be created from prefabricated elements fully created at a nearby sawmill. Due to good transportation and a healthy and attractive location, it was envisioned that the cottages would be rented during the summer. However, the project was not realized. My concept assumes some reference to the work of Lachert and Szanajca," Mikołaj Niewęgłowski introduces the content of his work.
The designed settlement is located in Młochowski Forest
© Mikolaj Niewablowski
contemporary settlement
The proposal of the Warsaw University of Technology graduate is based on creating a contemporary settlement in the area bordering the Młochowski Forest, made of wooden houses built from prefabricated repetitive modules prepared at a nearby sawmill. The facility would have an analogous function to the one planned in the 1930s.
The settlement includes cottages, an exhibition house and a meeting place
© Mikolaj Niewęgłowski
The function of the cottages for rent would influence the development of suburban garden city tourism. Młochowski Forest could be an alternative solution for people who want to quiet down outside Warsaw without necessarily choosing distant destinations, the author adds.
The project envisions the development of individual cottages into: a two-person rental, a five-person rental, a cottage for the team's caretaker, an exhibition house and a meeting house.
superimposed photos of the mockup
© Mikolaj Niewęgłowski
the way to a densely wooded plot
The concept is Nikolai's creative play with the search for ideas on how to develop a densely wooded plot of land. Its result is a logical process that makes it possible to create organic compositions on any densely wooded plot. And how to accomplish this? The number of buildings of the selected volumes, assumed by the author, was scattered on a model of the forest in the form of models at a scale of 1:100. In this way, the houses were always arranged between the obstacles naturally. This activity was repeated a hundred times by the architect. The author then superimposed the photos of each result, allowing analysis and exclusion of anomalies that occurred. Finally, out of all the layouts, he chose number 74 as the most averaged, and the buildings were connected by a curve whose shape was mapped as a path. As the author believes, the open form of the process makes it possible to transfer the design to other plots as well, and anyone can create his layout by making a projection.
The houses took a simple geometric form
© Mikolaj Niewęgłowski
modular cottages
The external form of the cottages does not try to be different by force, it is not different from the old cottages found around the forest. It confronts simple geometry with the organic structure of the forest. Just as the plot of land is located at the interface between the forest and the town, this motif is replicated in the architecture in the project. The lines of the path are intertwined here with the hard divisions of the prefabricated buildings and the trees, the architect explains.
The buildings are stained or painted black
© Mikolaj Niewęgłowski
The houses in question were created from modules delineated by two connected frames with a spacing of 1.5 meters. Such an assumption made it possible to create two types of buildings: two-module and four-module. Other designed buildings are variations of modules depleted by appropriate layers or walls. To authenticate the assumption, the structure of the buildings extended to the outside of the walls. The space between columns and beams is occupied by serrated wooden panels. Each building exterior is stained or painted black.
plan of type 1 and type 2 cottage
© Mikolaj Niewęgłowski
focus on nature
The residential cottages perform basic functions. In the design, the author included: a place to prepare food, a toilet, a bedroom and a living room with a view of the forest. The larger building is equipped with additional beds and a toilet. The idea chosen by the architect is that the interior of the cottages, focused on nature. Through the glazing on the first floor one can see only trees, while the windows on the first floor face the treetops. The interior of the cottages is governed by geometric divisions - the basic module is about 5 meters by 3 meters. Each designated room or division is half of the one next to it. In addition, under the bevels on the first floor is provided for the installation of cabinets, while there is storage under the stairs.
The meeting place is located under a canopy supported by poles
© Mikolaj Niewęgłowski
exhibition and meeting place
The author has also provided space for exhibitions within the settlement. The proposed exhibition located under the canopy will serve an informative function, presenting Lachert and Szanajca's project, the history of Podkowa Leśna, information about the forest and information about the designed establishment. Four zones have been separated under the canopy, which will be able to be developed by boards and spatial objects. The structure is illuminated by a gap between the wall and the roof, providing a soft transition of light and shadow.
Nikolai has similarly designed a "covered meeting place" and a utility room. The meeting place is provided for cottage renters, where they can spend time in a larger group, such as barbecuing. In this case, the canopy rests only on poles, so as to provide a view of the entire complex from inside.
