Double Barn Maison by Katarzyna Starzyk is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2023 A' Design Award d'Or in Design d'Architecture, Bâtiment et Structure Competition Category.

OrArchitecture· 2023

Double Barn Maison

by Katarzyna Starzyk

Client: A.P.A. Katarzyna Starzyk

A' Design Award d'Or Winner in Architecture Category

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The Design

About Double Barn Maison

Double Barn est une maison contemporaine située dans la banlieue de Varsovie, conçue pour une famille de quatre personnes. Le défi consistait à créer un design de maison moderne mais intemporel, faisant référence à l'architecture traditionnelle de Mazovie et s'adaptant au contexte naturel. Afin de ne pas dominer par sa taille le lotissement de maisons individuelles environnant, la maison a été divisée en deux blocs interconnectés. De l'intérieur de la maison, ce sont principalement les éléments lumineux des panneaux HPL qui sont visibles, ce qui crée une atmosphère chaleureuse. Dans le même temps, les façades sombres en carreaux de graphite permettent à la maison de se fondre dans l'environnement.

The Recognition

About the A' Design Award d'Or

Double Barn Maison est lauréat de l'A' Design Award d'Or, une reconnaissance immensément prestigieuse décernée à des designs de premier ordre, merveilleux et remarquables. Les lauréats Or sont des créations extrêmement innovantes, visionnaires et d'un éclat glamour éblouissant, qui reflètent le génie, la sagesse et la maîtrise de leurs concepteurs. Double Barn Maison est censé être une invention très louée, avant-gardiste et monumentale, qui apporte une valeur sans précédent. Ce design lauréat de l'A' Design Award d'Or est un projet spectaculaire et respecté qui sert grandement l'art, la science, le design et la technologie et en repousse les limites. Double Barn Maison crée de vifs sentiments de désir, éveille la passion, encourage la créativité et nous fascine.

Behind the Design

Press Kit

Credits, team members and technical details provided by the designer.

Unique Properties: The functional layout of the building has been divided into two interconnected blocks so that the size of the building does not disturb the landscape of small single-family houses. From the outside, both parts give the impression of two separate buildings. The graphite facade made of hand-formed brick refers to the dark pine trunks that grow in the area. The impression of the massiveness of the dark body is minimized by recesses finished with light wood-like boards.
Dimensions & Packaging: Total floor: 351,61m2, Foot print: 272,82m2, Site area: 1373m2
Tags: Home, barn-house, modern barn, residence, detached house, Polish architecture
Production Technology: The facades were finished with graphite hand-formed tiles, while the recesses and arcades were covered with HPL boards in a shade of light wood. Thanks to such a procedure, mainly bright elements are visible from the inside of the house, which contributes to the impression of coziness. At the same time, the dark facades blend the house into the surroundings, giving priority to nature. To expose the rafters inside the house, the roof was insulated with PIR boards laid on the rafters. Gutters and downpipes have been discreetly hidden in the roof and inside the exterior walls.
Design Challenge: The challenge was to shape the architecture in such a way that it would not overwhelm the surrounding small single-family housing with its size. Hence the idea of dividing the house into two blocks and referring to the traditional buildings of Mazovia. It is a modern approach to a traditional design.
Research: Double Barn is a designer house, but at the same time durable and timeless, because it is firmly rooted in local tradition and adapted to the context of nature.
Inspiration: The house for a family of four is located on the suburbs of Warsaw, surrounded by scattered single-family housing. The area is sparsely urbanized and the neighboring buildings are very diverse without a predominant style. A question arose, what is the regional architecture of Mazovia and how to find it in this environment? The aim was to settle the project in the context of the region, respecting its tradition, but in a modern version.
Project Duration: Design work lasted from 2018 to 2019. Construction work began in 2019 and was completed in 2022. The house was built in the Polish village of Komorow Wies, surrounded by forests, meadows and a river.
Operation Flow: From the street, the building has few windows, thanks to which it provides intimacy to the residents. The main entrance leads through a glass hall overlooking the garden to a two-story living room. Large windows are oriented to the south-west side of the plot. Stairs lead to the parents' area with a hobby room and a master bedroom. Then, through the passage, to the second block containing the children's zone (rooms, bathroom, hobby room), which has been clearly separated from the parents' zone.
Patents: A.P.A. Katarzyna Starzyk
Team Members: Katarzyna Starzyk
Image Credits: Photo credit: Piotr Krajewski