House DX Modern residence with nordic flair

Info about House DX:
architecture & interiors office: ANNA THUROW Architecture and interiors studio
architects: Anna and Krzysztof Paszkowscy-Thurow

www.annathurow.pl
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e-mail: anna@annathurow.pl

Comprehensive projects of private residential architecture, comprising of all design aspects whereas planting layouts, interior design, or bespoke drawer handles, topped up with architectural supervision throughout the execution process resemble Richard Wagner’s "Gesamtkunstwerk" idea. Such kind of complex commission results with coherence among all designed subjects and their peculiar conformity with user’s needs and expectations.

Cooperation between Client and Architect, embossed with mutual trust and compassion, was aimed at creation of architecture and interiors imagined as a background for everyday life. Design process of House DX flourished with high engagement level where even Client’s kids had their say, through their feedback upon 3D model explorations.

From the outset Nordic influences originating from client’s relations as well as location of the house in a remote city of Szczecin (Poland), which is closer to northern Europe than the rest of it’s country, were a focal point when it comes to the materiality of the project. Hand-made, authentic, and distinctively ageing materials used to establish this property were preferred both by client and the architects.

Architecture

Local plan imposing strict limitations to maximum height build area and certain details due to the conservation area along with client’s brief set up a demanding starting point for the architects. Ground floor, spacious layout, strong connection to the north European esthetics, durable and honest materials were requirements for an overall understated character of this property.

Architects decided to split the functions across four, partially merged volumes, shaped in an archetypical form of a simple houses. Volumes, shifted and differentiated with their sizes smartly hide spacious areas of the house. Relatively sleek house silhouette meets all legal requirements.

Extensive use of long, hand-formed brick in greyish tones covering all four volumes, refers to durability and identifies the building as strongly rooted to the North European characteristics. Cut-outs in house's four volumes, clad with patinated thermos ash, provide space for a front porch and roofed terraces. Slim metal frames around all openings, resembling pre-war window borders specific for this part of the city, were a prerequisite due to the conservation area.

Well-lit interior, through almost 3m high sliding panoramic windows and long skylights, precisely located above main working areas of this house, boasts views over forests surrounding city of Szczecin. Wide, pale flooring planks, wooden ceilings, and structurally plastered surfaces along with interiors interconnected to the spatial arrangement of four volumes create a specific understated Nordic flair.

Interiors

Programmatic interaction of architecture and interiors during designing process allowed architects from ANNA THUROW studio, for significant consistency between volumes, functional layout, and interior mood. Spatial divisions within certain areas of the house are executed with help of functional volumes, housing secondary spaces in “carved out” cavities. As a result, number of walls perceived as flat partitions is close to none.

Interiors are well-lit by natural light even within deeper allocated areas. It was possible thanks to long skylights, precisely located above working areas of kitchen island, main hallway, dressing room and transitional spaces. Panoramic windows stretching in deeply recessed cutouts of southern façade top up the airy feeling.

Reduced palette of finishes and subdued colors of natural materials were balanced by tactility of surfaces. Bright and warm brushed oak flooring planks and veneers were juxtaposed to slightly rough, light gray structural plaster applied on walls and ceilings, oversized stoneware tiles with slate-like texture and cabinetry in muted, soft-touch matte paint. On this calm backdrop a vast kitchen island in form of a monolithic quartzite block stands put, clearly defining center point of the house. Seemingly minimalistic and delicate kitchen hides additional features like spacious storage room or additional countertops, neatly hidden behind retracting doors. This allows for an effective use of this space in support of a family of four and constant flow of guests.