Creating the highest quality buildings does not always mean designing iconic architecture

25 of May '23

Maciej Zuber

...

"We design facilities in almost all areas of construction, and in each of them our role is slightly different. However, we always have our own concept, which is the result of discussions with the investor, his plans and preferences. We also take into account the opinions of future users and the environment in which the architecture is built," says Maciej Zuber, owner and chief architect of Archas Design studio in Bielsko-Biała.

Maciej Z uber is the owner of the design studio Archas Design, president of the SARP Branch in Bielsko-Biała and vice-chairman of the Regional Revision Committee of the Silesian Chamber of Architects. He is a Plenipotentiary of the SARP Main Board for BIM, and was deputy chairman of the Problem Team for BIM and Digitization at the National Council of the Polish Chamber of Architects. Awarded the honorary badge of the first degree of the Polish Chamber of Architects.

Józef Stachów: Archas Design studio is just celebrating its 18th anniversary. It can be said that your child is already of age.

Maciej Zuber: There is a certain analogy in the development of our studio to the growing up of a child. First, risky steps, then gaining experience and gaining confidence. With time comes the surprise that the company, like a child, no longer needs as much attention as before.

Joseph Stachow: It becomes more independent?

Maciej Zuber: Currently, Archas Design is co-founded by a team of twenty experts - architects, urban planners and sanitary engineers. This is a trusted team, which is the backbone of the studio's operations and can solve most design problems. In this area, the company is certainly more independent. However, as it grows, other problems arise, as in the saying: "Small children, little trouble. Big kids, big trouble." There are the challenges of the studio's financial security, and the number and scale of the projects underway.

Jozef Stachow: However, a large architectural firm was not immediately established. Did you also start with a startup in a garage?

Maciej Zuber: Admittedly, not in a garage, but just as modestly. After studying at the Faculty of Architecture at the Wrocław University of Technology, I returned to my hometown of Bielsko, where I decided to develop my own business. The company was then located in the basement of a single-family house. It took some time before I hired my first employee. I needed administrative support for my first significant order. It was an A+ class office building for the Polski Koks company in Katowice. Its design was that first, important step that allowed me to gain courage and sail into wider waters.

Polski Koks

Jozef Stachow: The building set the studio's characteristic trend seen in many of your later projects. It is characterized by restraint and simplicity, and inspired by the architecture of modernism. Where did such a direction come from?

Maciej Zuber: Creating top-quality buildings does not always mean designing iconic architecture, although we are no stranger to that either. Equally important is ergonomics, optimization or functionality of the building. This was also the case with the design of the Polski Koks office building, where the investor expected a specific layout of office rooms to be adapted to his needs. Such a solution was best suited to a minimalist cube-shaped block.

We designed a point-like building, which is today perfectly exposed from all sides. Horizontal glazing provides its users with a beautiful view of the nearby Three Ponds Valley. Inside, it is distinguished by a large atrium with an evergreen tree, which emphasizes its representative character, appropriate for an office building of this class. The design also did not lack direct references to the building's owner. The facade is dominated by graphite, while the orange elements are an allegory of the glowing flame in the coke oven.

Jozef Stachow: To what extent are your designs the concept of the architects of Archas Design, and to what extent the vision or need of the investor? How do you find consensus?

Maciej Zuber: We design facilities in almost all areas of construction, so a lot depends on what type of facility it is. Whether it is the design of a large industrial hall, a commercial complex, a hotel or a residential development. In each of them our role is slightly different. But we always have our own concept, which is also the result of discussions with the investor, his plans and preferences. We also take into account the opinions of future users and the environment in which the architecture is created. And to this vision we try to convince the principal of the project. This was the case, for example, with the design of an office building and production building for MAS in Mikolow. The company chose for its location a plot of land with buildings after the former PKS workshops. Initially, the new owner intended to demolish them. Upon inspection, it turned out that its construction was not only in good condition, but that it was also a rare example of native prefabrication used in the communist era. Its construction used cable concrete spans, which were transported in parts, glued together and then bolted together using steel cables. We managed to convince the investor to preserve this original fabric. On it we planned to expand the office part, and connected the wings of the buildings by a thirty-meter footbridge. Few investors would have agreed to such a solution. And so a new building was created respecting the original industrial architecture. Hence the structural elements permeating the office, such as metal stairs, columns and trusses.

MAS office building in Mikolow

Józef Stachów: A more difficult task is the renovation of historic buildings. When renovating them, in addition to the investor's intentions, it is also necessary to take into account the guidelines of the conservator of monuments. Pracownia is known for restoring beautiful townhouses in Bielsk to their state of splendor. How do you manage to reconcile these often different points of view?

Maciej Zuber: In such situations we are a bit of an arbiter between the preservationist and the building owner. The investor has certain functional-utility assumptions, which are supported by the profitability of his business plan. The preservation service, on the other hand, looks mainly at the historic fabric of the building, even when the building has been falling into disrepair for decades. Our role is to find a solution that is acceptable to both sides. Our greatest satisfaction comes from working with investors who are aware of the heritage they are dealing with.

Sunny Land School

A perfect example of such synergy was the project we carried out for the reconstruction of a late 19th century tenement house on Legionów Street in Bielsko-Biała. The new owners, searching the archives, found information that the tenement belonged to Edmund Schmeji, a well-known constructor and industrialist in Cieszyn Silesia. What's more, they reached his grandson living in Austria. Thanks to the photos he provided, we were able to design and later recreate the original architectural details on the building. Both the investor and the restorer also approved the proposal to insert a glazing in the upper cornice, which provided light to the attic. Thus, the building gained in functionality and was enriched with a contemporary solution. Currently, the tenement - which was previously frightening in appearance - houses a non-public school "Słoneczna kraina".

Jozef Stachow: You mentioned the important dialogue between architecture and the environment. However, the architect does not always have a large field of action. On a small plot of land or in a dense development it is probably difficult to spread wings?

Maciej Zuber: This is what our role as architects is all about. I will cite the example of a project that involved the expansion of a single-family house to function as a kindergarten in Bielsko-Biała. The biggest problem was to modify the existing block in such a way that it blended into the context of residential blocks on the one hand, and the neighborhood of single-family housing on the other. In an attempt to unite these seemingly mutually exclusive orders, we proposed a building on an "L" shaped plan. On its outline, the walls are the highest, reaching the top of the building and giving the impression of a flat roof.

Kindergarten in Bielsko-Biała

Visible from this side, the kindergarten visually refers to the block buildings in the background. On the other hand, in its arms, i.e., from the inner courtyard, the form reduces its scale, revealing to observers a multi-sloped roof that in turn blends in with the low-rise single-family buildings. In addition, we used polished metal panels on the top floor, which gave the block a mirror-like effect. By reflecting the reflections of the sky, they dematerialize the object, so to speak. This solution allowed us to optically reduce the volume of the building, which does not dominate in scale over the neighborhood with lower intensity of development. Such solutions allowed us to inscribe the kindergarten in both contexts.

kindergarten in Bielsko-Biała

Józef Stachów: And isn't it easier to design in the beautiful surroundings of mountains, forests and a lake? As in the case of the large estate currently under construction on Lake Żywiec?

Maciej Zuber: The Laguna Beskid apartment complex, as we are talking about it, is a completely different scale of investment. Of course, in the concept we took advantage of these unique advantages of the location. The architecture refers to traditional mountain construction. We were inspired by the local culture and climate taken from Alpine resorts. Hence the sharp roof lines referring to the mountain peaks. We gave the buildings a modern character by introducing large-scale glazing and large terraces.

Lagoon of the Beskids

On this occasion, it is worth mentioning what it means today to plan an investment in harmony with nature and the local community. The development will include not only apartments, but also a unique leisure and recreation enclave. We are currently designing the development of the island adjacent to the apartments, which will include a boat landing, restaurant, playground and sanitary facilities. The space will be open to everyone - both residents of the area and tourists. A promenade and a section of a bicycle and pedestrian path will lead to the island, which will connect to a tract planned by the local government around the lake.

Lagoon of the Beskids

Józef Stachów: The studio specializes in the application of Building Information Modeling technology. You are also a representative of the SARP Board of Directors for BIM. Is BIM the future of design?

Maciej Zuber: From the point of view of the entire investment process, it is no longer just the future, but the only right way. BIM is mistakenly identified only with a 3D model of a 3D building. Meanwhile, it is actually a database that collects detailed information - from the early design phase, through the implementation of the investment to the operation of the building.

I started working in BIM to make my life easier. And today it is the most important working tool for me as a chief architect. It eliminates the likelihood of inter-industry collisions and allows you to verify in real time the amount of material used so that the building is optimally designed. But BIM is not only for architects. Used by contractors and later by property managers, it brings tangible financial benefits to the investor.

Aluprof Research and Innovation Center

Józef Stachów: You are no longer just designing objects, but also building them virtually?

Maciej Zuber: Modeling objects can be compared to building them in virtual reality. A digital model of an object is planned exactly as it will be built. Starting with the foundations, putting up the walls and "pouring" the ceilings. Then come other elements, such as partition walls, elevations and installations. Eventually, a digital representation of the designed building is created, which will actually be built as it was developed in the BIM model. It is possible to go even further and create a virtual building that can be walked on, its lighting adjusted, viewed from different perspectives and at different times of the day.

Jozef Stachow: The expertise and experience you have gained have allowed you to accept orders for some of the largest investments in the country. Can you name some of them?

Maciej Zuber: We are currently involved in a major project, which is the construction of a new Viessmann factory in Legnica. A 50,000-square-meter heat pump plant will be built there later this year. It is on the basis of BIM that we are designing the walls for office buildings, production buildings and warehouses. Also to be completed this year is the building of the Polish History Museum in Warsaw. We worked with its contractor to develop a BIM model to speed up the entire construction process. A similar scope of work included the construction of the state-of-the-art MOLecoLAB science and research laboratory complex in Lodz, which was completed last year. This facility, which meets the high standards of a passive building, was built on the grounds of the Clinical and Didactic Center of the Medical University.

Józef Stachów: After 18 years, Archas Design is still a Bielsk-based studio, although it designs buildings in different parts of the country. What are your plans for the future?

Maciej Zuber: We already have a branch in Warsaw and we want to duplicate this model of development by creating facilities in other large cities. Internally, we will continue to emphasize the expansion of BIM and the development of new technologies that will make projects more accessible to clients, for example, through the use of VR. Externally, meanwhile, we want to play an educational role on sustainability. This is a key issue, because how we build and design in the future depends on it.

Jaworze estate

Józef Stachów: It will be easier to design buildings based on environmentally friendly solutions if investors are aware of their benefits?

Maciej Zuber: Yes, because today it is becoming more and more important to preserve a building over time. How it will age, how long it will be used, to what extent it will use renewable energy sources. All this adds up to the cost of its operation in the decades to come. An optimally designed building will bring far-reaching savings to the investor.

Another issue is functionality. A tailor-made building will be difficult to renovate later and make available for a new function. Buildings should be designed in such a way that they can be used for a different type of use and by different tenants in the future. For example, today's residential building can be designed to serve as a senior home in the future. This is feasible, but it should be envisioned in advance. And this is what we will encourage.