Hilltop Homestead Lub Luag Haujlwm Tseem Ceeb: Ib Tsev Neeg Nyob by Katarzyna Starzyk

Hilltop Homestead Lub Luag Haujlwm Tseem Ceeb: Ib Tsev Neeg Nyob by Katarzyna Starzyk is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2026 A' Design Award Tooj in Tsim Vaj Tsev, Tsev thiab Qauv Tsev Competition Category.

ToojVaj Tsev· 2026

Hilltop Homestead Lub Luag Haujlwm Tseem Ceeb: Ib Tsev Neeg Nyob

by Katarzyna Starzyk

Client: APAKASTA Studio of Katarzyna Starzyk

A' Design Award Tooj Winner in Vaj Tsev Category

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The Design

About Hilltop Homestead Lub Luag Haujlwm Tseem Ceeb: Ib Tsev Neeg Nyob

Cov Ntawv Phau Ntawv: Hilltop Homestead nthuav tawm ib lub tsev uas tau teeb tsa ua ob lub thooj uas yog tsim raws li tsev qhov nyuj cuab uas txuas nrog ib txoj kev iav uas tsim ib qho tshav tsev nyob nruab nrab ntawm lawv. Daim phiaj tswj hwm lub tsev ua ntau qhov chaw rau kev nyob, kev lom zem thiab kev so. Ib qhov chaw nyob uas siab ob theem qhib rau lub vaj thiab txuas nrog cov chaw sab nraum zoov. Cov chaw ntxiv suav nrog ib lub spa uas muaj pas dej da dej thiab cov chav rau kev lom zem. Ib feem ntawm lub tsev tuaj yeem hloov kho raws li cov kev xav tau uas hloov pauv thaum lub sijhawm dhau mus. Qhov teeb tsa txhawb kev sib txuas meej ntawm lub tsev, cov haujlwm txhua hnub thiab cov toj roob hauv pes ib puag ncig, thaum coj kev txav mus los raws txoj kab hlau ntawm lub tshav tsev.

The Recognition

About the A' Design Award Tooj

Hilltop Homestead Lub Luag Haujlwm Tseem Ceeb: Ib Tsev Neeg Nyob yog tus yeej ntawm A' Design Award Tooj, ib qho kev lees paub muaj meej mom heev uas muab rau cov qauv tsim tshwj xeeb uas txawv los ntawm kev tsim tshiab, kev txawj tsim thiab kev ntse. Cov neeg yeej Tooj yog cov khoom muaj txuj ci heev thiab tsim tshiab heev uas ua pov thawj txog kev paub ntau, kev xav thiab kev txawj ua ntawm cov kws tsim qauv. Hilltop Homestead Lub Luag Haujlwm Tseem Ceeb: Ib Tsev Neeg Nyob xav tias yuav yog ib qho khoom uas neeg hwm, qhuas thiab hlub, uas tshaj lij heev thiab tsim tshiab. Cov qauv tsim yeej A' Design Award Tooj no siv cov kev coj ua zoo tshaj plaws ntawm kev kos duab, kev tshawb fawb, kev tsim qauv thiab thev naus laus zis thiab zoo heev vim nws saib xyuas cov ntsiab lus. Hilltop Homestead Lub Luag Haujlwm Tseem Ceeb: Ib Tsev Neeg Nyob ua tau raws li cov kev xav tau zoo kawg, kov cov kev xav, ntxias cov kev xav thiab txhawb kev xav paub.

Behind the Design

Press Kit

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

Unique Properties: The project consists of two barn style volumes connected by a glazed link, forming a private internal courtyard at the heart of the homestead. The 510 square meter layout includes an 8 meter high living area, a children’s wing with a recreational attic, a private parents’ attic suite, a spa zone, a courtyard pool and an extensive garage system. One volume is designed for future adaptation into a fully independent 90 square meter apartment, ensuring long term flexibility.
Dimensions & Packaging: The homestead provides a total floor area of 487.01 square meters and a footprint of 555.53 square meters, situated on a spacious plot of 10 517 square meters. It is composed of two barn-style volumes linked by a glazed connector, featuring an inner courtyard with a swimming pool, a spa zone, a double garage and a freestanding three-car garage. The layout also allows one building to be transformed into a fully independent 90 square meter apartment, ensuring long-term adaptability.
Tags: Modern barn, homestead, family house, countryside architecture, contemporary barns
Production Technology: The design was developed through a functional division into two modern barn style buildings connected by a glazed link. The concept emphasizes spacious interiors, large glazing, covered terraces and a protected courtyard with a pool and spa zone. The planning strategy allows future conversion of one volume into a standalone 90 square meter apartment. The project focuses on spatial clarity, flexibility and coherent organization of external and internal areas.
Design Challenge: The main challenge was to fit a 510 square meter program into a clear layout that follows the natural elevation of the site. Dividing the design into two volumes linked by glazing enabled efficient functional planning and a homestead character. Ensuring future adaptability led to the option of creating a 90 square meter independent apartment while maintaining coherent outdoor spaces and a strong visual axis.
Research: The project explores how modern barn architecture can organize the living space of a large family on a spacious, elevated rural plot. The design examines functional zoning, the use of separate volumes connected transparently, and the creation of a private courtyard as the organizing element of the homestead. The flexibility to convert one building into an independent apartment further supports long term usability. The research focuses on achieving clarity, comfort, and adaptability while maintaining the typology of a contemporary countryside residence.
Inspiration: The design was inspired by the ambition to create a contemporary homestead for a family with three children on a large, elevated plot in Radwankow Krolewski. The site’s spacious, natural setting led to the concept of two modern barn style buildings forming a functional and harmonious whole. The aim was to reinterpret the rural atmosphere through clear zoning, generous spaces and a strong relationship with the surrounding landscape.
Project Duration: Design work was completed in 2024, while the construction of the house began in 2025. The project is located in Radwankow Krolewski, Poland, on a spacious plot positioned on a natural elevation, which strongly influenced the arrangement of the homestead and the organization of its functional zones.
Operation Flow: Circulation is organized along a visual axis leading to a tree integrated into the terrace roof, establishing spatial hierarchy. A glazed connector links the two volumes while maintaining their independence. Outdoor areas including the terrace, courtyard, pool and spa extend the living space and form a continuous sequence of functions. Clear zoning separates parents areas and children areas, while a covered passage enables sheltered movement between the garages and the house.
Patents: Copyrights belong to APAKASTA (APA Katarzyna Starzyk)
Team Members: Katarzyna Starzyk
Image Credits: Visualisations and renders credits: Piotr Packanik