The picturesque plot of land located right on Lake Zywiec had everything investors needed, except... a view of the reservoir itself. After all, the desired view was obscured by the earthen embankment surrounding the lake. To overcome this obstacle, designers at MUS ARCHITECTS sought inspiration in the shape of a periscope, an optical instrument used to observe objects that are out of the observer's field of vision.
solid shaping diagram
© MUS ARCHITECTS
modern lakeside house
The light body in a shape similar to an inverted letter Z is formed by three parts. The entrance area, hall, garage and spa with access to the garden are located at the very bottom, while the second floor is the night area - rooms and bathroom. The highlight of the body of the house is the top floor, which houses the living zone, from which, thanks to a large glass window, one can admire the view of the lake. A staircase connecting all floors and a small freight elevator leading from the garage straight to the kitchen were placed in the side of the house.
The modern, integrated and cohesive massing creates a recognizable mark in the space, a "Periscope" that allows you to look further and see more, the project's authors assure.
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house inspired by the form of a periscope
© MUS ARCHITECTS
panoramic view
Ola Kloc: What was the priority for the investors?
Adam Zwierzynski: The clients wanted to create a large attractive living area. Together we also considered whether we would be able to get a view of the lake, which, due to the location of the plot, was obscured by an earthen embankment running along the shoreline.
Ola: In order for the residents of the house to enjoy the distant and partially obscured views, you designed a house inspired by the form of a periscope. What are the challenges of constructing such a structure?
Adam: One of the key design considerations was the desire to solve the problem that resulted from the location of the plot, i.e. the lack of a direct view of the lake. We decided to make maximum use of the building height allowed in the local plan, elevating the living area to the highest, third floor and thus providing the residents with the desired view.
The living storey is wider than the bedroom section, located below, and is therefore cantilevered over the driveway. The structure of the cantilever is reinforced concrete (ceiling, soffit and side walls/shields). At the end of the cantilever, we have a 13.5-meter wide and 4.2-meter high thin-profile glazing system. The lump in the upper part completely opens up to the space above the earthen embankment that surrounds the water reservoir. Thiswill give the living area of thehouse a beautiful panoramic view.
The 
the house has a shape similar to an inverted letter Z
© MUS ARCHITECTS
Ola: The lump of the house, as in the aforementioned optical instrument, has a shape similar to an inverted letter Z - protruding in opposite directions the lower and upper floors are connected by a narrow vertical. What was the process of shaping the solid that allowed the proportional balance of the different parts?
Adam: With the idea of linking one of the main design requirements - to obtain a view of the lake with a tool for looking over obstacles, namely a periscope, all the disparate elements of the design "puzzle" began to fit together and compose into a functional, thoughtful and at the same time harmonious whole.
The obvious step was to reverse the layout of a typical single-family house and raise the entire living area to the top floor. We also left the entrance and garage parts in direct connection with the driveway for obvious reasons. Between these two floors, the private/night part of the house was introduced. In addition, the area associated with the different zones of the house allowed us to obtain floor plans that harmonized with the periscope form - the first floor and the level of the living area had a larger area than the night area floor in between.
Continuing the design process, we aimed to further synthesize all elements, while keeping in mind the ideological "anchor" - the periscope. The form of the building is therefore largely derived from the functional layout, which was followed by the structural layout. The whole was enclosed in a clear and formally distinctive package.
The 
large glazing on top floor allows admiring view of lake
© MUS ARCHITECTS
Ola: What room layout and functional solutions did you propose for the interior of the house?
Adam: The three-story body was divided into three zones: Theentrance zone, which includes a hall, garage and spa with access to the garden;the night zone - private rooms and a bathroom (the rooms have access to a terrace located on the ceiling of the lower and higher floors);the living zone on the top floor (a large open space, within which we have a living room, dining room and kitchen, in addition, on this floor there is also a small toilet).
Ola: In the visualizations, the elevations are covered with large white panels, what material do you plan to use to achieve a similar effect?
Adam: The whole block has a homogeneous package. It is a ventilated facade finished with aluminum panels.
The 
The building was divided into three zones: entrance zone at the very bottom, night zone in the middle part and day zone on the highest floor.
© MUS ARCHITECTS
integration of function, form and design
Ola: What was the most difficult part of this project, and what are you most satisfied with?
Adam: We are most satisfied with the successful synthesis and conceptual anchoring of the entire design process. Nothing here is by force against form, function or design. The main design problem has been transformed into the main value of the architecture through the right approach. Function, structure and form are fully integrated and understood here. Each piece of the puzzle interacts with the rest of the composition, mutually motivating and enriching each other. This is undoubtedly not an everyday situation.
Of course, not every project needs to be so clear, conceptually compact and legible, but when you manage to bring all the initially disparate elements together, it is undoubtedly a very satisfying feeling.
Briefly answering the question you asked - the "synthesis reaction" is beautiful, and the difficult thing is to bring this process and maintain it from start to finish during the long and multi-stage design and consultation.
Ola: Thank you for the interview.
