The residence of the future? Affordable, flexible and passive

Ola Kloc

13 of February '25

The winners and runners-up of the 1st edition of the INTELLIGENCE competition

Photo: Lubomir Nikolov

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+15

Residence is not just a place. There is much more behind this word. What makes us happy, what makes us feel safe in that particular place we call home? What influence does architecture have on this state? What sensitivity and tenderness does it take for designers to create a domestic space? Behind us is a special day dedicated just to habitation - a debate and the settlement of the 1st edition of the competition under this name.

participants in the debate on residential architecture

photo: Lubomir Nikolov

what is habitation?

On February 13 this year, on the ARCHI-STRADA stage during the BUDMA International Fair of Construction and Architecture in Poznań, we got to know the winners of the 1st edition of the ZAMIESZKANIE student competition organized by produktydladomu.pl and the "Architektura&Biznes" monthly, in which we looked for the most interesting designs for living spaces. The apartment is one of the most complex and demanding design tasks today. It is where we seek a sense of security and stability. At the same time, the economic availability of housing is becoming increasingly difficult, and a variety of lifestyles and work styles are bringing changes to traditional models of habitation. These challenges are forcing the search for innovative proposals that not only meet modern needs, but are also flexible and ready for emerging uncertainties, while taking care of sustainable use of resources and environmental protection.

How did the students of Architecture, Interior Design and design faculties of Polish universities cope with this challenge? The chairman of the competition jury, Prof. Tadeusz Pietrzkiewicz, tells us:

RESULTS OF THE ZAMIESZ competition

Out of more than a hundred works submitted for the competition, the jury, chaired by Prof. Tadeusz Pietrzkiewicz (Faculty of Architecture and Design at the Academy of Fine Arts in Gdansk) and composed of prof. Beata Gibała-Kapecka (Faculty of Interior Design at the Academy of Fine Arts in Krakow), Magdalena Buczyńska-Zapała (president of the SARP Krakow Branch), Małgorzata Tomczak (editor-in-chief of A&B) and Ola Kloc (secretary of the A&B editorial board), during deliberations held on February 5 at the headquarters of the Krakow branch of SARP, selected the winners.

The Main Prize of PLN 5,000 went to the project "Zerocenowość" by Nicoletta Kołodziej and Katarzyna Suchan from the Faculty of Architecture at the Warsaw University of Technology, while honorable mentions (PLN 1,000 each) went to the projects "Dom +Pasywny" by Kacper Żak and Patryk Tatara from the Faculty of Architecture at the Krakow University of Technology and "9-square grid. Model social housing development in Piekary Slaskie" by Oliwia Jagla from the Faculty of Architecture at the Silesian University of Technology.

Main Prize, proj.: Nicoletta Kolodziej, Katarzyna Suchan

A member of the competition jury, Prof. Beata Gibała-Kapecka, talks about the importance of shaping the environment closest to people and the need for an interdisciplinary approach in design:

how to live cheaply?

The crisis in the housing market is a fact - housing prices are steadily rising, fewer and fewer people can afford their own "corner". As the authors of the award-winning project note, the most affected group are young people, forced to go into debt, return to family homes or give up their studies. The situation is not improved by the high prices of building materials. An attempt to respond to these challenges is the design of the low-cost dormitory "Zerocenowość" (proj.: Nicoletta Kolodziej, Katarzyna Suchan), which offers students spaces to earn, in addition to a place to live.

Grand Prize, proj.: Nicoletta Kolodziej, Katarzyna Suchan

The building is based on modular construction with prefabricated elements, which allows for quick and economical erection and flexible adaptation to the needs of residents. To reduce expenses, a coliving model was used - common kitchens, dining rooms and recreational areas are located outside individual apartments. The living units were designed according to the existence minimum principle, offering a functional but compact space. Sliding furniture allows for flexible interior design

- explain the idea of the designers.

Grand Prize, proj. by Nicoletta Kolodziej, Katarzyna Suchan

The jury appreciated the versatility of the proposed solution: flexibility, multifunctionality, taking into account the mobility of the space and adapting to the changing needs of various users. According to the jury, this project best answered the competition task, which was to rethink the future of the residential function, where we are going.

Main Prize, proj.: Nicoletta Kolodziej, Katarzyna Suchan

how to live passively?

Another of the challenges is climate change that also forces architectural responses - the search for new technologies and sustainable design methods. An attempt to face this topic is the project of a self-sufficient small-scale residential building - "House +Passive" (proj.: Kacper Żak, Patryk Tatara).

Honorable mention, proj.: Kacper Żak, Patryk Tatara

In designing the +Passive House, care was taken to minimize its carbon footprint, creating it from 90 percent recyclable materials. The balance of the site was also taken into account - excess soil, created after excavation, was used to create embankments around the building to protect it from the wind. Photovoltaic panels were installed on the roof, which, combined with an energy bank located under the floor, provide access to electricity all year round

- explain the young designers.

Honorable mention, proj.: Kacper Żak, Patryk Tatara

The jury appreciated this small "dwelling machine", a technologically modern form that can respond to the challenges of today's world. It is a certain essence of housing - housing in a nutshell, a starting point for thinking about contemporary habitation, to a certain degree of frugality, minimalism and looking for some primal solutions.

how to live flexibly?

An attempt to respond to urban, environmental and social challenges, on the other hand, is the wooden project "9-square grid. Model social building of residential development in Piekary Slaskie" (proj. Oliwia Jagla).

Honorable mention, proj.: Oliwia Jagła

Thanks to prefabricated modules, it is possible to easily adapt the building to changing conditions, which makes the project long-term and ready for future challenges. The modular design allows the apartments to be adapted to different users' needs, which is an important asset in the face of growing social and economic uncertainty

- explains the author.

According to the jury, the author shows with her design how to adequately and wisely manage the few available urban plots of land. The modularity of the proposed structure also gives a perspective for the future, the possibility of making changes as needed. The jury also noted the introduction of various levels of community living and appreciated the choice of wood - a material of the future, which is not only natural, renewable and absorbs carbon dioxide, but also has a beneficial effect on our well-being.

Honorable mention, design: Oliwia Jagła

What did the jury miss in the submitted works? Jury member Magdalena Buczynska-Zapala answers this question:

continued

The formal announcement of the results was preceded by a debate on residential architecture led by A&B editor-in-chief Małgorzata Tomczak. On the stage of ARCHI-STRADA met: founder of KWK Promes studio Robert Konieczny, co-founder of Ultra Architects Marcin Kościuch and president of the Cracow branch of SARP, as well as member of the competition jury Magdalena Buczyńska-Zapała. Mateusz Mastalski, an architect, urban planner and partner in the Henning Larsen studio, also made a virtual appearance in Poznań and shared his Danish experience. We will write more about this extremely heated debate soon!