Hilltop Homestead Domus Unifamiliaris by Katarzyna Starzyk

Hilltop Homestead Domus Unifamiliaris by Katarzyna Starzyk is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2026 Praemium A' Design Award Aeneum in Architectura Competition Category.

AesArchitectura· 2026

Hilltop Homestead Domus Unifamiliaris

by Katarzyna Starzyk

Client: APAKASTA Studio of Katarzyna Starzyk

Praemium A' Design Award Aeneum Winner in Architectura Category

5,668

Verified Award Winner

Verify Award Status for #181980

Visit Site View at A' Design Award Press Release Award Badge

Colors

The Design

About Hilltop Homestead Domus Unifamiliaris

Praedium in Colle domum exhibet quae in duo volumina ad horreorum speciem composita disponitur, transitu vitreo coniuncta qui aream inter ea format. Descriptio domum in partes ad habitandum, ad otium et ad quietem distribuit. Locus habitationis duplici altitudine ad hortum patet et cum spatiis exterioribus coniungitur. Praeterea adsunt thermae cum piscina et cubicula ad oblectationem. Partes domus ad necessitates temporis mutantes accommodari possunt. Dispositio claram relationem inter aedificium, cotidianas actiones et circumiacentem regionem servat, dum motum secundum axem areae dirigit.

The Recognition

About the Praemium A' Design Award Aeneum

Hilltop Homestead Domus Unifamiliaris victor est Praemii A' Design Award Aeneum, honoris multum aestimati formis egregiis, creandi ingenio, sollertia et acumine insignibus dati. Victores Aenei opera perita et mire creandi sunt, quae experientiam, imaginationem et solertiam auctorum suorum confirmant. Exspectatur Hilltop Homestead Domus Unifamiliaris rem multum aestimatam, admiratam et carissimam, notabiliter professionalem et novam fore. Haec forma Aeneo victa optimas consuetudines artis, scientiae, formandi rationis et technologiae amplectitur et in cura minutiarum excellit. Hilltop Homestead Domus Unifamiliaris necessitates egregie explet, cupiditates tangit, sensus capit et curiositatem allicit.

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