This is one of the smallest projects of the Wroclaw architectural firm Maćków Pracownia Projektowa. The Neighborhood Terrace, as it is referred to, is located in one of the courtyards on Podwale Street, right next to the studio's headquarters. The project covers a total area of 70 sqm and is intended to be a friendly, green space - an open meeting place and respite on hot summer days for the residents of the tenement.
Seemingly nothing much - a wooden terrace, simple seats, a table and some greenery, yet it invites, brings people closer and makes the hitherto concreted space "breathe" and integrate.
axonometry
© Macieków Pracownia Projektowa
We tackled this small project in order to organize and socialize the space of a typical courtyard in a nineteenth-century block of quarter buildings. We also wanted, perhaps manifesting a bit - to deconstruct a piece of the city. Summer in the city without greenery becomes increasingly difficult to endure. Hence the idea to create a space that is comfortable, gives shelter from the sun, and is both an extension of our office and a meeting place for the residents of the tenement. The form of the terrace was designed for easy accessibility for all users - a low platform, equipped with fixed furniture, arranges the space with the help of simple forms, the authors of the project write.
landscaping
© Macieków Pracownia Projektowa
As a first step, architects from Maćków Pracownia Projektowa freed 30 sqm of soil from concrete and took care of arboricultural care for a magnificent tree, a glandular aylanthus called "Mietek" by the designers, which eventually occupied the most important, central part of the designed terrace.
To carry out the first phase of the project (cleaning up the courtyard) we invited all the residents of the tenement house. We did something like a community deed, in which we purchased tools, plants and ordered transportation. The terrace itself was made by a professional company. After the day's meeting, we held a joint barbecue, which lasted until the early hours of the morning," the architects recall.
The project covers a total area of 70 m²
Photo: Maciej Lulko
The openwork structure of the Neighborhood Terrace is made of narrow planks, spaced every centimeter, so it does not block the natural absorption of rainwater by the soil. Certified coniferous wood, sourced from sustainably managed forests, was used to make the terrace. What's more, the designers have dispensed with its chemical preservation - the chosen species (Siberian larch) has a natural resistance to weathering, and its color will cover itself with a gray patina over time.
In the center of the project is a magnificent tree - glandular aylantus
Photo: Maciej Lulko
Freeing up another 40 sqm of the courtyard area made it possible to create a garden full of shrubs and perennials. The designers also planted two beech trees here, which will create a natural protection from the sun for the southern, heavily sunlit facade of the building. Thanks to this solution, the space has become a biologically active area and, as the authors of the terrace emphasize, helps better manage rainwater within the courtyard.
