Contemporary architecture is increasingly moving beyond the purely utilitarian functions of buildings. Designers are not only responding to the needs of residents, but also anticipating the challenges of climate change, the quality of life in urban spaces and growing expectations of comfort. Such is the approach of the engineering design by Michal Kacprzyk, created at Poznan University of Technology under the supervision of supervisor Dr. Ewa Pruszewicz-Sipinska, whose subject is a modern office building located in the center of Poznan. At the core of the concept is the idea of passive, self-sufficient architecture, and at the same time aesthetic and integrated with the surroundings.
elevations
© Michal Kacprzyk
form that says more than function
The designed building has the compact form of a cuboid, with a characteristic hollow interior opening that penetrates through all above-ground floors. The entire building has been divided into four above-ground floors and two underground floors, where there are not only parking spaces for cars, but also technical rooms. Vertical communication is provided by staircases, elevators and an exit ramp. Already at the first floor level, users have access to an open, representative entrance area, including a vestibule, lobby, reception area, checkroom and green courtyard, which is the center of the building's life. On the Krasinskiego Street side, two indentations have been designed to optically relieve the mass and accentuate the entrance - one of them enlarges the entrance zone, the other models the corner, which in effect creates a visual impression of a towering end of the facade.
cross section
© Michal Kacprzyk
users in the center of assumptions
The first floor, in addition to the communication space, houses a medium-sized restaurant, with full kitchen facilities, sanitary facilities for guests - including people with disabilities - and with checkrooms and social facilities for female and male restaurant employees. Further down the building are three independent office areas, located on the second floor - each designed for a different group of service providers: legal and notary, real estate and insurance. All these spaces have been designed in a functional way, with a fully equipped kitchen, dining area and a common lounge area, which is a glass room overlooking a vertical garden, located inside the building structure, providing contact with nature also in the work space.
visualization
© Michal Kacprzyk
flexibility available from the second floor
The two upper floors are provided for individual tenants. These spaces are designed to be flexible and adaptable to the needs of users - with a division into open space areas and more private interiors, containing conference rooms, offices for owners, managers or deputies. Here, too, there is a communal kitchen, archive, photocopy point and relaxation space, so that the building not only fulfills commercial functions, but also promotes the integration and well-being of those who work in it.
an ending that welds the space to its context
Of particular note is the building's roof, covered with extensive-type greenery, with roof hatches and technological elements - including air handling units and air exhausts. A unique solution is the perforated sheet metal covering the technical equipment, the angle of which refers to the natural slope of the land around the plot. This introduces visual coherence with the surroundings, while masking the installation elements, giving the building an individual character.
visualization
© Michal Kacprzyk
smart façade as part of the system
One of the most innovative solutions used in the project is the southeast elevation, on the side of Mickiewicza Street, designed as a double ventilated glass facade. It is in the form of a zigzag and consists of alternating transparent and opaque glazing, creating a buffer layer between the interior and exterior environments. This allows heated air to reheat the interiors in winter, while in summer, through natural convection movement, the air cools the rooms, without the need for energy-intensive air-conditioning systems. At the same time, access to daylight and scenic comfort is provided, which significantly affects the well-being of those inside. In addition, the façade features transparent Onyx Solar photovoltaic cells, which support the production of energy from renewable sources - in a way that is integrated into the form of the building.
interior
© Michal Kacprzyk
The whole as a statement of responsible architecture
The project as a whole is an example of thoughtful and responsible architecture, responding to both the needs of users and environmental and urban challenges. It's a building that not only subscribes to the idea of sustainable development, but actually embodies it, showing that a contemporary architect can create spaces that are beautiful, functional and conscious.
