Design: Robert Konieczny KWK Promes,
Collaboration: Marcin Harnasz, Mariusz Pawlus, Marcin Króliczek, Justyna Górnica, Grzegorz Ostrowski, interior arrangement: PULVA Adam Pulwicki
Photo credits: Jarosław Syrek, Juliusz Sokołowski;
Description:
IDEA Investors wanted a simple, sunny and relaxing home, somehow reacting to the movement of the sun. They also valued our moving buildings and their changeability. The starting point was a regular shape unbuilt site, located in the suburbs among the average single-family housing. We placed a rectangular solid on it, and then turned the part belonging to the ground floor to get as much privacy as possible from the side of the road. In the ‘cut’ space was located a living room, roofed floor and in the perpendicular shape we located the SPA zone. Both spaces close the private part of the garden. The investors’ wish was a simple house with a flat roof, but the local plan imposed sloping roofs. Therefore, from the street side, the house has a gable roof, and from the garden side a flat roof, which ultimately created a non-standard, characteristic house shape. Investors wanted a house reacting to the sun, which is why we used the motif of the quadrant – an old device used to determine the position of the stars. We have designed a terrace that reacts to the sun and follows it, thus residents sit in its shade and pleasant airing and – depending on the season – it regulates the amount of sunlight in the spaces it adjoins – gives the desired shadow in the summer (without losing the view, what would happen in case of using traditional blinds) and in winter allows for more sunlight inside. Furthermore, in good weather and also in the evening, when the house is open, it can be an extension of the daytime area or SPA. The drive system is fully automated, but manual control is also possible, depending on the needs. Movement of the terrace has been programmed to be in constant motion during the day, so that natural grass grows underneath. MOVING TERRACE Mechanisms by which the terrace of the building moves are designed and made by the company, that collaborated with us in the construction of Safe House, Konieczny’s Ark and National Museum in Szczecin Dialogue Centre „Przelomy”, which are also equipped with a various kind of a large – scale, moving elements. The movement of the terrace and its speed is adapted to the sun’s wandering. The drive system is fully automated and has advanced safety sensors – if it encounters an obstacle, the terrace stops, making it completely safe to use. However, for funcional reasons, manual control is also possible. The terrace has been programmed to be in constant motion during the day, thanks to which natural grass grows underneath. CONCLUSION Mobility in architecture exists for a long time and it always really fascinated us. That’s why we decided to follow this way, by using mobile elements in our projects. We believe that solutions which we developed, will also inspire other architects to increase the functional abilities of architecture.
