Where is one of the greenest (and most beautiful) public interiors in Poland? In the forest! In this building, the interior and façade form a coherent story with beauty, health and sustainability as the moral. Meet the interiors of the educational building of the Forest Botanical Garden in Marszewo, designed by studio {tag:pracownie}, where almost everything is made of wood!
Quite a lot has already been written about the educational building at the Forest Botanical Garden in Marszewo - no wonder, since the completed project was the first public building in Poland made entirely in CLT technology. The building, broken into small blocks, inspired by traditional homestead architecture, facades covered with larch fired in the traditional Japanese Shou Sugi Ban technique, and numerous environmentally friendly solutions have ensured its fame. Now, however, not only what can be seen from afar has been appreciated, but also the interior. Learn about the solutions that made these inconspicuous buildings receive a special award from SAW's Interior of the Year competition in the Sustainable Design category!
The new buildings of the Forest Botanical Garden in Marszewo
Photo: provided courtesy of SAW, proj.: Gierbienis + Poklewski
functionality of a country house
In designing the buildings scattered around the plot in the middle of the forest clearing, the architects referred to the archetype of a rural homestead, which was traditionally dominated by two silhouettes - a hut and a barn. The situation is similar in the case of the building in Marszewo, as the new building on the grounds of the Forest Botanical Garden basically consists of two two-story blocks connected by a glazed batten. Both are covered with steep pitched roofs, surrounded by small outbuildings and fenced with a wooden fence. The layout of the buildings chosen by the design team allowed the creation of two courtyards, which not only positively affect the functioning of the space around the buildings, but also the reception of their interiors, in which the arrangement of glazing was conditioned, among other things, by the views coming in through the large windows.
New buildings of the Forest Botanical Garden in Marszewo
Photo: provided courtesy of SAW, design: Gierbienis + Poklewski
The archetypal forms that the architecture of the Forest Botanical Garden in Gdynia has adopted have allowed for the diverse spaces arranged in its interiors. The smaller of the buildings, located in the southwestern part of the plot, mainly housed functions serving visitors. A lobby with a reception desk, checkroom and sanitary facilities were located on the first floor. A two-rung staircase leads to the first floor, where a multifunctional space was found, where visitors can relax, organize educational activities or workshops.
New buildings of the Forest Botanical Garden in Marszewo
Photo: provided courtesy of SAW, design: Gierbienis + Poklewski
The divisions in the larger building were organized in a slightly more unconventional way. The most space in it is occupied by the exhibition space - in the southern part of the building it is limited to the first floor only , on the northern side it opens up to the second story, creating a high hall, covered with a gabled roof. Above the ground-floor part of the exhibition hall is suspended a section intended for employees, which includes office and social rooms or a meeting room.
New buildings of the Forest Botanical Garden in Marszewo
Photo: provided courtesy of SAW, design: Gierbienis + Poklewski
candid architecture
The interior of the Marszewo garden is honest with its viewers - the material used to construct the building has been exposed in every possible place. Employees and visitors will not experience plaster, paint-painted surfaces or panels made of plastic there. Almost all the wall slopes in this building are made of light-colored cross-laminated timber (CLT).
The new buildings of the Forest Botanical Garden in Marszewo
Photo: provided courtesy of SAW, design: Gierbienis + Poklewski
The building does not hide its design. The rooms do not have suspended ceilings, while exposing the technological part. Likewise, the technical elements of the steel connectors of the wooden elements to the foundation slab and among themselves are visible. CLT prefabricated elements remain visible in the interior, also exposing their role. Thus, the directions of their grain are visible according to the structural layout, beams are visible above the openings, and in some places, such as in the ceilings, the cross-sections of the slabs are visible, revealing their layered structure.
- explain the architects.
The new buildings of the Forest Botanical Garden in Marszewo
Photo: provided courtesy of SAW, design: Gierbienis + Poklewski
wood equals health
For the interiors of the Forest Botanical Garden in Marszewo, the architects made sure that the materials used were completely safe. As they explain, in the interiors only raw materials were used, which in themselves are inert for health, and for their impregnation agents were used that do not emit volatile compounds, harmful to the human body.
New buildings of the Forest Botanical Garden in Marszewo
Photo: provided courtesy of SAW, design: Gierbienis + Poklewski
The interiors of the educational building in Marszewo are not just indifferent to health - by using natural materials they actively support it, especially in the mental sphere. In creating these spaces, the architectural team acted in accordance with the principals of biophilic design, which promotes the inclusion of natural elements in interiors. The benefits of staying in spaces with lots of plants, finished with wood, are confirmed by scientific studies, whose authors and contributors point to, among other things, a reduction in stress levels, aiding focus or increasing energy levels among those who stay in such spaces:
Also undeniable are the benefits of direct contact with wood, which is done in a multi-sensory way, so in addition to sight, one can also smell and touch the material, and depending on the nature of its treatment, impressions can be different. Combined with the unique properties of the wood substance as a store of heat and moisture (where it is warmer in winter and feels cooler in summer), wood surfaces that are warm to the touch provide a properly balanced housing climate and ultimately the well-being of the residents.
The new buildings of the Forest Botanical Garden in Marszewo
Photo: provided courtesy of SAW, design: Gierbienis + Poklewski
detail matters
Although the interiors are dominated by light-colored wood, the design team decided to introduce strong accents that visually tied the rooms to the building's distinctive Shou Sugi Ban-fired plank facade. Thus, black is not only used for the window frames, but also for the railings, some of the floors and the exposed plumbing under the ceiling. Even the bolts holding the structural components are coated with glossy black zinc.
The new buildings of the Forest Botanical Garden in Marszewo
Photo: provided courtesy of SAW, design: Gierbienis + Poklewski
interior with benefits
Summing up their realization, the architects write:
Ultimately, the building, its landscaping, and the interior form a coherent, integral whole that expresses respect for the site, both the history of the area and the natural surroundings, while indicating the potential for the wider use of wood in architecture and interior design. We note that potential clients are still apprehensive about maintaining wooden planes over the long term, but the experience of the space is intense enough that they are beginning to realistically consider such a choice, noting the psychophysical benefits. Self-feeling in staying in wooden interiors is much better, work is more efficient, the pleasure of relaxation is more complete. Children respond brilliantly during activities, successfully spend their leisure time in the facility, which is the greatest appreciation of the work put into the project.
Other projects awarded in this year's edition of the SAW 2025 Interior of the Year Award can be found on the competition website and on the Home Products portal.
