Check out the A&B portal!

House with black facade in Zgorzal of the 89° studio project

10 of June '20
Technical data
Name: House in Zgorzal
Location: Poland
Design: Joachim Surdy from 89° and Michal Pawlik studio.
Usable area: 205 m²
Total area:
306 m²
Cubic capacity: 1002m3
Project year: 2018
Year of implementation: 2020
Investor: Private

The plot of land on which the house stood was overgrown by wild birch trees, which today stand out picturesquely against its dark facade. It is increasingly common to find houses whose walls are covered with graphite or black color. Also increasingly common are tan or painted boards in addition to sheet metal. The facade of a house in Zgorzelec, where a family with two children lives, was created in a similar way.

The architects of the {tag:pracownie} studio subordinated the design of the house to both the landscape qualities of the small plot and its requirements - they tried to preserve as much as possible of the birch trees growing around it. As they themselves emphasize - exposing the existing trees was one of the most important decisions. Another was to connect the building coherently with the garden.

Rzut - dom jednorodzinny z czarną elewacją Rzut piętra - dom jednorodzinny z czarną elewacją

In the very center of the building is a staircase that divides the kitchen space from the living room. When one enters the first floor, a view of the high dining room is revealed

© 89°

house with a large window

The designers decided to open the modern building to the garden using large glazing. One of them is a characteristic element of the house - a window more than 5 meters high brings the southern sun into the dining room located on the first floor. By extending part of the body of the house, it was possible not only to create a natural canopy over the entrance, but also over part of the terrace. This procedure relieved some of the pressure on the monolithic body of the house, giving it an impression of breath.

The functional layout of the house was fully subordinated to the needs of the investors. On the north side facing the entrance to the plot, the kitchen and children's bedrooms were located. On the south side - the dining room, living room and parents' bedroom. In the center of the building is a staircase that divides the kitchen space from the living room. When one enters the first floor, a view of the high dining room is revealed.

Thanks to the already mentioned sizable glazing, the daily zone of the house intermingles with the garden. This gives residents a sense of constant contact with the surrounding nature.

Dom jednorodzinny z czarną drewnianą elewacją

As a result of this process, the interesting aesthetic qualities of the boards are also brought out

© 89°

natural façade

The façade of the house of the 89° studio project was made entirely using the old Japanese technique of Shou Sugi Ban, which involves preserving wood by tanning it. As a result of this process, the interesting aesthetic qualities of the planks are also brought out. Some of the glyphs and the soffit have been further exposed by using Siberian larch in its natural shade. Thus, they contrast slightly with the dark color of the building's walls.

Thanks to natural materials, the monolithic block gained elegance and blended in with the surrounding landscape - the natural drawing of the wooden facade establishes a dialogue with the nature filling the plot.

elaboration: Basia Hyjek

The vote has already been cast

INSPIRATIONS