Wioletta Żądło, a student of interior design at the Academy of Fine Arts in Cracow, decided to tackle the neglected"Lubogoszcz" Training and Recreation Base located in Kasinka Mała, proposing to build two types of summer houses inits place.
The work was written as a bachelor's degree under the direction of Dr. Małgorzata Zbroińska-Piątek.
Training and Recreation Base , "Lubogoszcz" is a resort located in a picturesque mountainous area in Kasinka Mala in Lesser Poland. The origin of the complex was the YMCA (Young Men's Christian Association), which in 1924 was looking for a place to hold meetings. It was then that the southwestern slope of Lubogoszcz in the Beskid Wyspowy was chosen.
One of the most important factors influencing design was light
© Wioletta Żądło
One of the biggest assets of the site was a vast lake called "Frog's Eye" by the locals . Young people flocked from Krakow, Warsaw and Lodz and began to build a community, and with it came several huts, a manager's house, a dining hall with a community center and a sports field. In 1931, as a result of the drought, "Frog's Eye'' disappeared and was replaced by a swimming pool, and more and more new buildings began to arrive. For the author it is a special place, because she herself comes from Kasinka and often spent time there, visiting the center as a child.
,'House 1'' is designed for a larger family
© Wioletta Żądło
time for change
Unfortunately, when I returned to this place after a few years, I had the impression that time had stopped here. The space around the facility, on the one hand, evokes sentiment and positive feelings in me, as the surroundings have been preserved intact. However, on the other hand, the facilities there have not been thoroughly modernized, with the consequent reduction in the attractiveness of such a beautiful place. The most striking disparity is noticeable in the zone of detached houses. The first thing we can observe is the lack of glazing, and consequently, direct contact with nature is limited - contradicting the premise of the place. The interiors of the bungalows are truly spartan conditions - bunk beds strewn in corners, a makeshift closet [...]. The situation outside does not look much better, the positioning of the cottages also leaves much to be desired. The short distances between them result in a complete cut-off from the forest. It was precisely such a view that made me decide to take up the subject of designing new cottages," says Wioletta Zdzlo.
The main idea of the project was to translate the climate of the place into an object. As the author believes, the nature surrounding the base should be reflected in the interiors. In order to achieve this effect, she decided to arrange the new cottages so that they did not interfere with each other, and the only view from the window was the beautiful forest. In the interiors, the designer used simple, intersecting forms and monochromatic planes with accents appearing here and there.
The interiors are characterized by simplicity and minimalism
© Wioletta Żądło
observation of light
The student began her work by observing the light, and above all analyzing from which side the sun rises and sets, how the shadows fall on the plane and how they overlap. The result was a new alignment of the center's facilities to optimize the use of the sun's rays. The opening of the buildings to the three sides of the world (east, west and south), on the other hand, distinguished their characteristics and was the beginning of the creation of two types of houses.
,'House 2'' is designed for couples or singles
© Wioletta Żądło
The author focused on the appropriate placement of windows. In ,,House 1'' intended for families with children, the windows are located on the eastern side, which makes its interior naturally lit from the early hours. Also, skylights let in the southwestern rays of the sun. In contrast, , "House 2" is illuminated in the early afternoon. All rooms are characterized by oozing, diffused and intense light.
new configuration and zoning
The new houses were built on the original foundations, but not directly adjacent to them. They are stacked in different configurations on the two bases, becoming a stand-alone structure at the same time. The foundation serves as a terrace in the individual cottages, where we have an entrance on one side and the possibility of a balcony on the other. However, due to the uneven terrain between the shafts, a height difference was created. To remedy this, the author inserted stands on which the cottage supports itself, and the person using the object can freely access the balcony thanks to them.
The living room was designed on an elevated
© Wioletta Żądło
Light in the interiors also contributed greatly to the separation of the private and semi-private zones. In "House 1" an important element is the kitchenette, stretching the entire length of the interior and facing the morning sun. The kitchen flows freely into the living room designed on an elevated level. Here there are mattresses for resting and a table in the form of a box. The elevation also serves as a storage room. Sliding doors lead to the stands based on the cottage's foundation. On the mezzanine, the author placed two bedrooms - one for a couple and another for children. Limiting access to light in these spaces affects the comfort of sleep, and skylights allow observation of the starry sky.
The mezzanine is the sleeping area
© Wioletta Żądło
"House 2" is designed for one or two people, is based on similar design schemes as "House 1" , however, its square footage is much smaller. The living room and kitchen area is more separated, but all of them are facing southwest which gives
long-lasting illumination of the rooms.
Working on the project was a challenge for me, during which I had to face issues previously alien to me, such as the wooden construction of the houses [ ...]. Given my lack of experience in this aspect, I didn't want to disturb the peculiarities of the place and thus lead to a distortion of its heritage [...]. There are already fewer and fewer places where man does not interfere excessively with nature. Therefore, when choosing my topic, I also wanted to draw attention to the fact that such few areas should be cared for and appreciated. Because it is nature that has been and is the best therapy for man, especially in these days spent in closed houses on housing estates built to the limit," Wioletta Żądło concludes.
