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Small vacation cottages „u Gai”

Architect: SAN Architektura Rafał Oleksik
Location: Radomice, Powiat lwówecki, Poland
Type: Cabin
Year: 2022
Photographs: Michał Drapała

The following description is courtesy of the architects. The cottages were built on a hill with a beautiful view of the Karkonosze Mountains. The area is rich in flora and fauna. As part of the investment, two summer houses with a total usable area of ​​approximately 80 m2 were designed. In the near future, a third larger building will be built as the next stage of the project – a single-family house for the hosts. During an on-site inspection, it was found that there was a closed quarry near the plot. There was an idea to refer to this unusual neighborhood in the project. The plot is located on a steep slope, so the houses have been arranged in such a way as to give the impression of freely scattered boulders. The buildings resemble hewn cubes.

Undoubtedly, the greatest value of the plot is its landscape character, which is why it was important to emphasize the view of the Karkonosze in the design process, which was achieved thanks to the use of 4,5 m wide panoramic windows that frame the view of the mountains like a picture frame. The location of the buildings and paths has been planned to minimize interference with the vegetation on the plot. It was also important to preserve the natural “wild” character of the plot, as little affected by human activity as possible, hence the abandonment of traditional paved surfaces in favor of unpaved paths with elements of aggregate from the immediate vicinity. The fence marking the plot boundaries was also abandoned.

The buildings are set on a pedestal set back in relation to the body of the building, thanks to which less greenery has been removed. The overhang of the houses behind the plinth gives the impression that from the outside they seem to be levitating over the slope. From the inside, this procedure brings users even closer to the surrounding landscape.

The cottages are designed on a square plan. The main entrance is on the east side through the adjoining terrace. On the ground floor there is a living area with a kitchenette, a bathroom and a dressing room. There is a bedroom on the mezzanine, the outline of which is in line with the ridge line, i.e. diagonally to the house’s projection. By guiding the roof line in this way, it was possible to achieve the right height where it was most desired.

Individual objects were made in the HBE glued timber system. Thanks to this technology, there was no need to finish the walls with additional cladding from the inside. Outside, the façade and the roof are made of Siberian larch, which began to patinate under the influence of UV rays, thanks to which the houses blend in even more with the surrounding landscape. The plinth is finished with hewn stone.

Project Details

• Project Name: Small vacation cottages „u Gai” with a view of the Karkonosze Mountains.
• Office Name: SAN Architektura Rafał Oleksik     
  • Office Website: www.sanarch.pl
  • Social Media Accounts:
    • https://www.facebook.com/sanarchitektura/
    • https://www.instagram.com/san_architektura/
  • Contact email: sanarchitekt@gmail.com
  • Firm Location: Kraków
• Completion Year: 2022
• Gross Built Area (m²/ ft²): 81 m²
• Location: Radomice, Powiat lwówecki, Poland
• Building Function: Vacation homes
• Lead Architects: Rafał Oleksik
• Construction: AM Projekty Konstrukcje
• HVAC Engineer: Michał Baran Embe Studio
• Electrical Engineer: Paweł Kóska
• Client: U Gai
  • Client Website: https://ugai.pl/
  • Client Social Media Accounts:
    • https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100083337372727
    • https://www.instagram.com/domekugai/
• Photo Credits: Michał Drapała 
  • Photographer’s Website: https://michaldrapala.pl/
  • Photographer’s e-mail: m.drapala@int.pl
  • Social Media Accounts: https://www.instagram.com/edwardo_edd/