The house was created on a vast, sandy plot densely covered in the thicket of the pine forest and though not overwhelming in size, remains impressive by scale; its overhanging oval frame encloses the garage and the open spa area in a harmonious circle.
The building with an area of 400 sq m built with a reinforced concrete structure is clad with panels of Okume wood, derived from West Africa, and the concept of the house was derived from a tree trunk. Designing through reduction looked like hewing pockets of rooms and cosy, semi-private, glazed alcoves into the wood. Consequently, users can feel as if they are continuously strolling through the trees. It is full of glazing that blurs the boundaries. “The plot offers the freedom, or rather intimacy of communing with nature and architecture,” says Przemek Olczyk of Przemek Olczyk Mobius Architekci.
The client appreciated privacy but did not wish to hide away from the surroundings enveloped by the Kampinos National Park. The answer to this challenging design aspiration was an atrium, located in the central part of the spared pine trees. The atrium harmoniously invites nature into the interior of the house, full of daylight, natural materials and spacious glazing.
A strong feature affecting the perception of the interior is the sculptural ribbon of stairs, which in itself is an artistic element of the building's architecture. The other rooms are characterised by a sophisticated play with natural materials. The sandy landscape with tall grasses and pine trees overgrowing the area creates a background that changes with time.
The alcoves cut out in the huge trunk allow for clear zoning of individual functions, ensuring a sense of privacy and contact with the surrounding nature.
The house is characterised by restraint to detail, which emphasises the elegance of the materials and its simplicity. Direct contact with nature means that the house changes depending on the surrounding aura, weather, time of day and year.