The fashion for relaxing outside the city in the spirit of slow life is not going away. Tired of polluted air and lack of contact with nature, we are increasingly looking for places where we can at least for a moment breathe. For those looking for a rest (for a few days or permanently, because it's a year-round option!) surrounded by nature, Piotr Gniewek and Rafał Szmigielski of Tyyni Studio designed a minimalist wooden house, which, opening to views of the four sides of the world, will allow its occupants to admire the surrounding landscape from any place.
The leitmotif of the House of 4 Views, as its authors write, is the belief that every moment, even the most trivial, spent among nature can be magical. The small, prefabricated house, which can be realized without a building permit, is solved on a cross plan with arms of equal length. Three of them end with a large glazing, while the fourth one houses the entrance to the building. The bright space inside the block is almost completely devoid of walls - only a small bathroom has been separated, while the other wings are planned for open zones - kitchen, bedroom and living room (dining room). The open space is not even disturbed by furniture - the designers' intention is to create a functional, bright building along the walls.
projection
© Tyyni Studio
Skillfully concealed spaces for storage, cabinets and technical installation equipment ensure full comfort of use, while not disturbing views of the landscape, spatial order and pleasant and smooth wooden surfaces, the architects write.
Complementing the small house is a smaller, free-standing sauna on a plan similar to half of a Greek cross, which houses a changing room, shower area, sauna and relaxation area for two people.
Left: house; right: sauna
© Tyyni Studio
Ola Kloc: The House of 4 Views is planned on the plan of a Greek cross. What is the reason for such a layout? How did you arrange the various functions inside?
Piotr Gniewek: The house consists of four spaces: living, bedroom, kitchen and sanitary. We wanted to avoid separating them from each other with walls. We also needed a space that would connect all the functional zones together. Therefore, such a layout was self-imposed and seemed logical to us.
Ola: The small, prefabricated, wooden house is meant to be a proposal for people who believe in the Scandinavian ethos of living, in nature and among loved ones. How through architecture do you try to transfer these values to Polish realities?
Piotr: By using simple, yet often overlooked solutions. Generous view openings to the landscape, an open plan and common space without divisions, direct access to the outdoors from each of the functional zones. Well, and necessarily the hearth - the place where residents gather. We give these elements a smooth and modest superficiality, because we believe that a space without unnecessary and random elements is beautiful.
Left: dining room; right: bedroom
© Tyyni Studio
Ola: The house is equipped with photovoltaic panels, a Scandinavian stove, a recuperator and other appliances, systems and installations for comfortable living. Can the project be energy self-sufficient?
Peter: The house can be energy self-sufficient, as it is mainly (but not only) aimed at enthusiasts of living in silence and away from civilization - that is, where such solutions are particularly desirable. The photovoltaic panels provided on the roof of the house and on the sauna dedicated to it generate enough energy for the functioning of the appliances in the house. Note that this is a facility for people who know their needs and can do without unnecessary, excess equipment.
axonometry
© Tyyni Studio
Ola: What was the most difficult part of this project, and what are you most satisfied with?
Piotr: With small buildings that have an extensive functional program, the difficulty is to realize it on a very limited space and (often) with a limited budget. An additional difficulty is taking into account the energy requirements of the facility. Success is when you manage to reconcile all these elements with each other, and at the same time create something beautiful.
Ola: Thank you for the interview!
