House M7
Architects / Authors - MFRMGR Architekci / Team: Marta Frejda, Michał Gratkowski, Waldemar Nowicki, Łukasz Ptak
Company website - www.mfrmgr.pl/
Mail - info@mfrmgr.pl
Project status – 2017 /construction started / expected completion 2018-2019 /
Floor area – 284,5 m2
Location - Warsaw, Poland
Location
We designed the building on a medium sized, rectangular plot of about 800 m2, in a village in the outskirts of Warsaw (around 10 km).
The property on which the investment was made is slightly hidden and located in the space between several similar plots, occupied by typical houses. The street from which the plot is accessed is a private, intimate one, delimitated by barriers at both ends; this special situation means that there are no front and lateral fences, which gives the place an open, albeit intimate character.
Idea
The design process began with conversations about the family members’ needs. This allowed us to describe the function of the house - extended for the number of inhabitants. A point where the needs of all the residents of the house intersect became the inner patio. Through this patio, practically every place in the building has a view of the surrounding green space: from the house entrance, to the living room and kitchen, until the corridor that serves the bedrooms.
What's more, thanks to the patio and the large openings in the living room, the apparently closed concrete block reveals well-lit interiors with large glazing while preserving an intimate character for the interior spaces.
Another direction in the design was the preservation of the visual axes throughout the length of the ground floor of the building. So from the living room we have a direct view of the kitchen, and when entering the building we see the green area behind the house.
Shape
The shape of the building was to be simple and neutral so it related to the shape of the plot - it is a rectangle with facades alluding to the gray concrete structure. The only detail used in the project are the simple steel bar rails. The window niches with discrete, aluminum frames contrast with the brutal facade. The building has two floors, with the day area on the ground floor (access area, study, toilet, kitchen with pantry room, and living room). On the first floor there are the private rooms of the inhabitants (master bedroom with wardrobe and bathroom, the children’s bedrooms, guest room, and laundry room). On the upper floor there is a large terrace available for all building users.
Materials / construction:
The house is executed in mixed construction - partly reinforced concrete, partly brick; the beams supporting the roof are wooden. The elevation was made of concrete, while the windows with narrow aluminum frames and steel elements are painted dark gray.
