House with a Glade
Dom z Polaną
On a plot hidden among trees near Warsaw, Poland, a house has been created in harmonious dialogue with the forest landscape. For the architects, the source of inspiration was a luminous woodland glade.
House with a Glade was designed by 77Studio Architektury, a Polish practice known for a number of distinctive house designs. The building not only respects the context of the site, but also subtly emphasises its uniqueness – as if the form of the house had been drawn by nature itself.
Hidden in a dense pine forest, the villa seems to tease the observer. Through its brick-and-glass camouflage, it creates surprisingly natural mirages. It reveals its presence only at close range, when the eye begins to separate architecture from forest. Among the tall trees, the house emerges, and with it a bright glade is revealed.
At first, the plot on which the house was to be built seemed unremarkable. A small site with a building intended for demolition, densely surrounded by trees, made a rather gloomy impression. ‘We immediately began looking for solutions that would compensate for the lack of light,’ recalls architect Paweł Naduk, owner of the practice.
The situation changed after the previous building had been demolished. Only then did the full potential of the place become apparent. ‘An exceptional view opened before us. Tall, slender pines formed a natural ring around a glade lit almost theatrically. This luminous space became the starting point for our design,’ says the architect.
A semicircular wall of the house, with large areas of glazing, was set along the outline of the glade. As a result, the façade became a vast window opening the interiors towards the forest. Implementing this concept required the use of curved glass and sliding doors moving along an arc. The layout of the rooms was also adapted to the soft line of the building, so that sunlight could reach every part of the house and change within it over the course of the day. In the setting of a dense forest, this was of particular importance.
The garden is a natural extension of the house. It was created on the glade embraced by the arms of the building, forming a semi-private courtyard intended for relaxation. During the day, rays of sunlight filter through the tree crowns, while the movement of shadows slowly travels across the façade and terrace. In this space, a subtle theatre of light and shade unfolds, in which architecture and landscape continually permeate one another.
A fire pit was designed at the centre of the garden. After dusk, the light of the fire takes over the role of the sun – the flames illuminate the glade and, through the glazed wall, bring warm reflections of light into the interiors.
Around the fire pit, a terrace was made of ash boards arranged radially. The same pattern is repeated in the oak floor inside the house, so that the boundary between home and garden almost disappears – as if the building were a natural continuation of the woodland glade.
References to nature are also visible in the form and colour palette of the house. From the courtyard side, the volume resembles a partially hollowed-out tree trunk – dark and closed on the outside, lighter within, opening up towards the light. Fibre-cement panels and sheet metal in a graphite shade create a raw outer covering, which contrasts with the bright space of the garden and interiors.
From the front, the house is more restrained. The simple volume is clad in hand-formed brick in a warm, brownish tone. Its colour and texture evoke the bark of pine trees, allowing the building to blend naturally into its forest surroundings.
The brick façade also forms a kind of protective outer shell. In some places, it becomes openwork, filtering light and views, and setting up a subtle play between the garden and the forest. Behind one such wall, a loggia has been hidden – a calm, secluded place for rest.
The house was also designed with the environment in mind. It has green roofs, while the natural arrangement of trees and shrubs preserved on the site further strengthens its symbiosis with nature. It is also equipped with a building automation system, which increases the comfort of use.
House with a Glade was designed by 77Studio Architektury, a Polish practice known for a number of distinctive house designs. The building not only respects the context of the site, but also subtly emphasises its uniqueness – as if the form of the house had been drawn by nature itself.
Hidden in a dense pine forest, the villa seems to tease the observer. Through its brick-and-glass camouflage, it creates surprisingly natural mirages. It reveals its presence only at close range, when the eye begins to separate architecture from forest. Among the tall trees, the house emerges, and with it a bright glade is revealed.
At first, the plot on which the house was to be built seemed unremarkable. A small site with a building intended for demolition, densely surrounded by trees, made a rather gloomy impression. ‘We immediately began looking for solutions that would compensate for the lack of light,’ recalls architect Paweł Naduk, owner of the practice.
The situation changed after the previous building had been demolished. Only then did the full potential of the place become apparent. ‘An exceptional view opened before us. Tall, slender pines formed a natural ring around a glade lit almost theatrically. This luminous space became the starting point for our design,’ says the architect.
A semicircular wall of the house, with large areas of glazing, was set along the outline of the glade. As a result, the façade became a vast window opening the interiors towards the forest. Implementing this concept required the use of curved glass and sliding doors moving along an arc. The layout of the rooms was also adapted to the soft line of the building, so that sunlight could reach every part of the house and change within it over the course of the day. In the setting of a dense forest, this was of particular importance.
The garden is a natural extension of the house. It was created on the glade embraced by the arms of the building, forming a semi-private courtyard intended for relaxation. During the day, rays of sunlight filter through the tree crowns, while the movement of shadows slowly travels across the façade and terrace. In this space, a subtle theatre of light and shade unfolds, in which architecture and landscape continually permeate one another.
A fire pit was designed at the centre of the garden. After dusk, the light of the fire takes over the role of the sun – the flames illuminate the glade and, through the glazed wall, bring warm reflections of light into the interiors.
Around the fire pit, a terrace was made of ash boards arranged radially. The same pattern is repeated in the oak floor inside the house, so that the boundary between home and garden almost disappears – as if the building were a natural continuation of the woodland glade.
References to nature are also visible in the form and colour palette of the house. From the courtyard side, the volume resembles a partially hollowed-out tree trunk – dark and closed on the outside, lighter within, opening up towards the light. Fibre-cement panels and sheet metal in a graphite shade create a raw outer covering, which contrasts with the bright space of the garden and interiors.
From the front, the house is more restrained. The simple volume is clad in hand-formed brick in a warm, brownish tone. Its colour and texture evoke the bark of pine trees, allowing the building to blend naturally into its forest surroundings.
The brick façade also forms a kind of protective outer shell. In some places, it becomes openwork, filtering light and views, and setting up a subtle play between the garden and the forest. Behind one such wall, a loggia has been hidden – a calm, secluded place for rest.
The house was also designed with the environment in mind. It has green roofs, while the natural arrangement of trees and shrubs preserved on the site further strengthens its symbiosis with nature. It is also equipped with a building automation system, which increases the comfort of use.
77Studio
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