KWK promes' house in poland functions in full symbiosis with its natural surroundings

‘from the garden house’ by KWK promes is a private residence in poland designed to function in full symbiosis with its lush natural surroundings. the project was developed in reverse, as the client had already worked on the site’s extensive green landscape before moving on to the home’s design. the lush garden surrounds the building from almost all sides and flows into its interior through the semi-atrium at ground floor level.all images by jakub certowicz

‘our client’s philosophy and actions are exemplary,’ says KWK promes. ‘usually the richest grab for themselves and privatize the most beautiful, unique green areas, often leading to irreversible degradation of the environment and landscape. here we deal with the opposite process.’ the owner had already a finished project to transform the worthless idle site into a green, friendly landscape, and only the house was missing.

‘something that at first seemed to be a ridiculous reversal of the course of things, once it was explained, became absolutely logical for us,’ adds the polish architecture studio. ‘he wanted to be able to enjoy the garden to its full extent after the completion of the construction and moving in. plants need much more time to reach their target size than it takes to build even such a large house. you might plant big trees after all, however, it is costly and not environmentally friendly.’

the transformed green oasis is completed with a lake and a smooth road that leads to the place where the residence is located, also assumed as an art gallery. the ground level of the house adapts to the curves of the surrounding landscape as a continuation of these curves and fits in softly with the surroundings. additionally, grey concrete used on the façades enhances this symbiosis as a reference to the color of the existing, stone road; the starting point of the project. the rounded forms of this level clearly separate the driveway from the rest of the garden, providing the residents with intimacy and silence.

the minimalist, white volume of the upper level contrasts the geometry of the ground floor, while a softly-cut atrium acts as a link between both floors. the lush greenery flows into the interior from almost all sides through the atrium. large-size spaces on both levels are designed exclusively for the client’s rich art collections, where they can can organize vernissages for a large number of people. moreover, the most important functions of the house are placed within close proximity to each other to make it user-friendly. last, the large shutters on the south and west elevations, finished with the same plaster as the walls, close up the building in a uniform shape and, above all, protect the valuable art collections from harmful sunlight.

‘our goal was to create a building, and in the future, more houses, which blend harmoniously into nature and, first and foremost, are objects that use alternative energy sources,’ KWK promes notes. ‘what we focused on most in the design was to apply and develop sustainable systems. we wanted these houses, as well as the green areas that are being built with them, to continue to function as a single, self-sufficient organism in a changing climate.

having the garden as our starting point, we created a kind of background architecture, which functions in full symbiosis with nature, becoming part of the ecosystem. the house intertwines with the greenery, uses energy from the environment and its renewable sources, but also gives it back to the environment. the architecture lives in full harmony with nature,’ concludes the studio.