Barn Quartet Whare Whānau Kotahi by Katarzyna Starzyk is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2026 A' Design Award Hiriwa in Hoahoa Waihanga, Whare me te Hanganga Competition Category.
HiriwaWaihanga· 2026
Barn Quartet Whare Whānau Kotahi
A' Design Award Hiriwa Winner in Waihanga Category
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- Verified Award Winner
- Verify Award Status for #182146
The Design
About Barn Quartet Whare Whānau Kotahi
Ko Barn Quartet he whare papa kotahi kua hangaia mai i ngā wāhanga e whā kua whakaahuahia hei whare kararehe, kua whakatakotoria ki runga i tētahi papa whenua whānui e tata ana ki Tarnobrzeg, Pōrana. He mahi motuhake tō ia wāhanga: he parirau mō ngā mātua me te ruma moe me te whare korikori tinana, he parirau mō ngā tamariki me ngā manuhiri me te whare waka, he whare noho, me tētahi whare hopu kararehe motuhake. Ka whakawhiwhia e ngā matapihi nunui ngā tirohanga ki te ngahere paina huri noa, ā, ka whakaratohia e tētahi whakamarumaru i te taha raki he huarahi kua hipokina. Ko te wehewehe mārama me ngā ōwehenga taurite ka honohono mārie i ngā wāhi o roto ki ngā taiao māori.
The Recognition
About the A' Design Award Hiriwa
Ko Barn Quartet Whare Whānau Kotahi te toa o te A' Design Award Hiriwa, he whakaaetanga tino whai mana e hoatu ana ki ngā hoahoa taumata teitei rawa, ātaahua me te whakamīharo. Ko ngā toa Hiriwa he mahi tino kanapa, tino auaha e whakaatu ana i te mātanga, te pūmanawa me te mōhio hōhonu o ā rātou kaihoahoa. E tūmanakohia ana ko Barn Quartet Whare Whānau Kotahi he mahi whakamīharo, he tauira, he tino ngaio, he auaha hōhonu. Ko tēnei hoahoa i toa i te Hiriwa he hanganga rongonui, whakamīharotia e whai wāhi ana ki te whakawhānui i ngā rohe o te toi, te pūtaiao, te hoahoa me te hangarau. Ko Barn Quartet Whare Whānau Kotahi he mahi e hae ana te tini, e whakaara ana i ngā hiahia, e kawe mai ana i ngā kare-ā-roto pai, ā, e whakaoho ana i te mīharo.
Behind the Design
Press Kit
Credits, team members and technical details provided by the designer.
- Unique Properties
- The villa is formed by four barn inspired volumes, each dedicated to a specific purpose within a single level layout. The parents pavilion includes a master suite and gym, the second wing serves the child and guests with utility rooms and garage, the central pavilion contains living areas with wide glazing, and a detached hunting lodge supports leisure and quiet work. Together they create privacy, comfort and a coherent architectural composition connected to nature.
- Dimensions & Packaging
- The residence provides a usable area of 422.85 square meters with a building footprint of 571.75 square meters, situated on a plot of 4046 square meters. The layout consists of four barn like volumes: a parents wing with gym, a childrens and guest wing with garage, a central living pavilion and a detached hunting lodge. A north side canopy offers parking for two cars and sheltered access to the home.
- Tags
- modern barn villa, four barns residence, single level pavilion house, contemporary homestead, luxury family villa, barn style architecture, rural inspired design, landscape integrated house, modern residential design, polish architecture
- Production Technology
- The villa was developed using four coordinated barn style volumes linked by functional connectors. Exterior walls are planned as double layer structures finished with ceramic tiles, HPL panels or wood. The house uses a heat pump and a mechanical ventilation system with a high efficiency heat exchanger. Design work focused on clarity of functions and coherent spatial composition.
- Design Challenge
- The main challenge was to design a low profile villa that fits local surroundings while organizing complex functions across four volumes. Ensuring privacy between the parents and child wings required careful positioning. Integrating a hunting lodge as a fourth pavilion without disrupting cohesion demanded precise spatial balance. Technical decisions focused on efficiency and spatial clarity.
- Research
- The project is based on applied research into single level residential layouts and multi volume rural typologies. The objective was to identify how four distinct functional units can create comfort and privacy for a family of three. Analysis focused on zoning, view axes and outdoor transitions. The outcome demonstrates that a four pavilion structure improves usability, clarity and long term comfort.
- Inspiration
- The villa was inspired by the ambition to create a single level residence composed of four barn style volumes on a generous plot near Tarnobrzeg. The concept sought to balance rural calm with modern comfort while keeping the architecture discreet in scale. The arrangement of the pavilions reflects the need for privacy, functional clarity and strong connections to the pine landscape, creating a home that blends naturally with its surroundings and supports a harmonious daily rhythm.
- Project Duration
- The project was designed in 2024 for a site near Tarnobrzeg on a plot of more than four thousand square meters. Construction began in 2025 and the villa has already reached the closed shell stage with roof and windows installed. The location and scale of the site influenced the decision to create a single level residence composed of four barn inspired pavilions arranged to frame views and ensure privacy.
- Operation Flow
- Daily life flows through a central living pavilion with kitchen, dining and lounge areas opening to the landscape. The layout separates parents and child zones for privacy, while the connector hall organizes circulation. A lookout point from the kitchen enables observation of the arrival route. The north side canopy allows dry access to the house and the hunting lodge supports leisure and quiet work.
- Patents
- Katarzyna Starzyk
- Team Members
- Katarzyna Starzyk
- Image Credits
- visualizations and renders Dawid Milecki
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