LESSER POLAND HOUSE

The characteristic stylistic features of the wooden cottage, which we translated into contemporary architectural language, include an unusual color—ultramarine—which serves as a decorative element in historical houses. It was once the cheapest available dye used to decorate homes. Another characteristic feature of this type of building was the clear tripartite division: the thatched roof structure, which we made of stone slate, and the wooden ground floor structure, which refers to log construction. This was finished with a mosaic of wooden panels of various scales—width and length—while giving the narrowest panels the aforementioned ultramarine color. The concrete base refers to stone foundations and is a structure pressed into the slope of a small plot. The distinct arcades, which can be seen in rural wooden log houses, also shape the contemporary form of the Lesser Poland House. On one hand, they emphasize the dynamic front zone of the building (adapting the building lines to the shape of the narrow plot), and on the other hand, they create an impressive roof over the summer terrace. Wooden village houses were often associated with small gardens separated by wooden fences. The Lesser Poland House, in a way similar to these historical ones, is surrounded by a lush garden, while the durable, transparent, but substantial fence is a contemporary transformation of picturesque wooden fences.

The Lesser Poland House is a small form of linear expression, nestled into a tight plot in Kraków. The interiors of the building open up to the surrounding landscape. The ground floor, which corresponds with the adjacent terrace, houses the living area and a guest room, while the attic contains the private zone, which includes a master bedroom, an office, and a spacious, glazed room visible from the front of the house, with a small terrace.

The Lesser Poland House is a continuation of the creative thread initiated in the designs of the Farmhouse, the Artist’s House, and above all – the Polish House. All of these houses share the characteristic tripartite division of separated architectural forms, which create a dynamic and intriguing dialogue of spatial contrasts.