The results of the POLITYKA Architectural Award competition were announced yesterday. The Grand Prix was won by xystudio's project , the Home for the Homeless in the village of Jankowice. This win showed that for a long time the social dimension of design, no less important than the commercial or private one, was neglected and forgotten.
The building was to be, above all, functional, fully adapted to the needs of the people living there. People for whom there is no place in the system because they enjoy too good health to live in Nursing Homes and too bad to use night shelters. The "HOUSE" was created specifically with them in mind, on the initiative of Sister Margaretta Chmielewska.
home for the homeless
Many of the residents move around in a wheelchair, so, among other things, the building is one-story for their convenience. The undulating roof harmonizes with the surrounding fields and hills, and the trees make the house not visible from the road. This is not a typical building where homeless people are placed - often haphazard, redundant, located on a busy street or the least attractive area of the city. From all the windows of this house there is an almost idyllic view.
From all the windows of this house there is an almost idyllic view
© xystudio
The building is divided into three main zones separated by brick walls. In the entrance zone there is a public area: a chapel, offices, rehabilitation rooms, a common room and a canteen. In the next part, 19 rooms with bathrooms have been located, which have been adapted to different degrees of disability, as well as studios. At the end are three small apartments with kitchenettes. This is where people who have fully dedicated themselves to caring for the disabled live. As the architects from {tag:pracownie} emphasize, Jankowice is a village far from the city, and the wards require constant care. The designers wanted to provide the caregivers with a substitute of privacy, hence their part is located in a place where, at least for a while, they can cut themselves off from the world.
with the residents in mind
The rooms are double with shared bathrooms. The house also has a kitchen, dining room and common room. The architects specially designed the bedrooms so that there is only room for two beds. It is very important that householders do not spend time here, but go out, participate actively in the life of their community. Nevertheless, they are cozy. The functionality of the kitchen has also been thoroughly thought out - residents can help with simple meal preparation tasks.
Marcin Czaja took care of the aesthetic feelings of the residents by creating the "Four Seasons" mural.
© xystudio
The most important place is the courtyard, which, thanks to the glazing, gives the feeling of more space. Also thanks to this, caregivers can keep an eye on the wards, ensure their safety. Marcin Czaja took care of the aesthetic feelings of the residents by creating the "Four Seasons" mural. Its creation was the idea of Sister Małgorzata Chmielewska, who wanted the residents to be able to enjoy the color and at the same time, to break the ascetic tone of the building.
ecological assumptions
The house was intended to be ecological, self-sustainable and cheap to run. However, the architects were forced to abandon the installation of heat pumps in favor of gas heating due to high electricity prices. The building features underfloor heating, ventilation with recuperation, warm walls and windows, an ecological wastewater treatment plant and rainwater tanks for watering the grounds. The designers planned to install solar panels, but no one in Jankowice was interested in buying the accumulated energy. The building was constructed with ecological materials - the ceramic walls and facades are made of discarded materials: bricks from a 200-year-old mill or planks from nearby demolished barns.
The building is divided into three main zones separated by brick walls
© xystudio
Very important elements are the canopies and the bench in the courtyard. At the front of the building a long old bale was installed, where all the residents sit, smoke, watch and talk.
As the architects assure - not a single tree was affected during the construction!
