STONE MANSION IN KONSTANCIN NEAR WARSAW/ BIURO ARCHITEKTONICZNE BARYCZ & SARAMOWICZ
A comfortable villa of a modern and representative nature, which combines two basic functions – a typically residential one, allowing the owners to live comfortably and safely in the conditions of a reasonably conceived prestige, but at the same time it is a reception and a guest house, which means that it can also be used to organize meetings and conferences for a small group of guests.
Designed by architects Rafal Barycz, Ph. D, and Pawel Saramowicz, Ph. D, the villa is of a thoroughly modern nature. Its architecture intentionally contrasts with the dominant building style of Konstancin near Warsaw. The designers made a conscious choice here, considering the fact that since the suburban resort is full of great buildings erected in the early twentieth century, thus the newly constructed ones should exemplify the highest expression of contemporary generation's creative possibilities. The designed building is of a strictly original character, and at the same time it took into account both the specificity of Konstancin and the landscape of the Mazovia region.
The day-zone, with the height of two storeys, is located in the central part of the building. Its space was divided conventionally: with lowering of the floor in specific locations, layout of the pillars, or spatial screens. There is a living room filled with space and light, and a dining room with a cocktail kitchen, whose significant size allows to hold large social events, a separate kitchen, a hall. There is a separated fireplace zone and a lapidarium. Here is also a study as well as a recreation area with a billiard-room. A versatile function of the villa is presented in the first floor plan, whose one part is of a private nature with a complex usable function, and the second one is a reception. Communication function is fulfilled by an open gallery, which surrounds from three sides the day-zone located below. In order for a large building, surrounded by beautiful old trees, not to over-dominate the space, its lowest floor was partially immersed in the ground, locating there, among others, a hunter's lounge.
The facade of the building features a sculptural character and a large deal of emotion. The cladding panels were made from the raw, pre-polished Żarnowiec sandstone. A soft, natural tawny color of the stone absorbs light and creates soft chiaroscuros, but it also underlines the ascetic simplicity of a monolithic shape of the building.
The villa is located on a captivating plot, which is covered with old pine trees in the elite, spa part of the resort. Hence the building was planned in such a way so as not to destroy the existing forest stand, and at the same time, so that the house and its natural environment constitute an integral and complementary entirety. Economical form of the house shape, with numerous horizontal lines, harmoniously refers to the landscape of sandy plains of Mazovia, and huge double-storey-high glazings, designed around the garden, make the landscape penetrate deep into the building in a natural way. From the side of the urban area, the building becomes introverted.
The shape of the building exemplifies the spatial philosophy of the Architectural Office Barycz and Saramowicz. It features a distinct idea, simplicity and functionality of the projection. The game of the planes in abstract configurations.
Rafał Barycz
Paweł Saramowicz