Mobius Architekci . photos: © Paweł Ulatowski
The forest conceals its secrets. Following this philosophy, a project of a house bathed in nature was created. It captivated the investor, an art lover and collector, who appreciated its features alluding to gallery spaces.
The vast, sandy plot densely covered with pine forest has created a unique setting for the house located in Izabelin. It was created in the thicket of the forest, and out of respect for it. The house is not overwhelming in size, yet may well impress with its scale from the outside. It is all thanks to an overhanging oval frame that encloses the garage and the open spa area in a harmonious circle.
The building with an area of 400 sqm built with a reinforced concrete structure is clad with panels of Okume wood, derived from West Africa. This exotic wood – elegant and knotless – perfectly blends the building into the forest surroundings. Thanks to the materials, colours and oval form, the building organically blend into the natural landscape of the forest.
I thought of the house as a big piece of 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 the author of the project, Przemek Olczyk from the Warsaw office of Przemek Olczyk Mobius Architekci, while explaining the idea behind it.
However, the investor, who appreciates privacy, did not wish to hide away from the beauty of the surroundings enveloped by the Kampinos National Park. The answer to these seemingly impossible design assumptions was an atrium, soaring high into the sky, located in the central part of the spared pine trees. The atrium pleasantly and harmoniously seeps nature into the interior of the house, full of daylight, natural materials and spacious glazing.
The space inside is reminiscent of a private art gallery, sensitive to the beauty of nature designed in harmony with nature. 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.
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