Project Name: S House

Location: Poznań, Poland

Design Team: PL.Architekci

Total Floor Area: 439 m²

Completion: 2024

Photography: Tom Kurek

Feature:

Project - In Poznań, Poland, the "S House" stands out for its innovative design approach that creates harmony between architecture and nature. Situated on a plot with mature trees, PL.Architekci responded to this challenge by creating a living experience that seamlessly integrates built form with natural landscape, completing construction without felling a single tree.

The core concept of the building is "a house winding between trees," achieved by "squeezing" and twisting a traditional rectangular volume at two strategic points to create the distinctive S-shaped plan. This solution not only accommodates complex functional requirements but also perfectly avoids every tree on the site, allowing the building to integrate into the natural environment like a modern large garden sculpture. The architects' strategy was to design the residence as a glazed pavilion that establishes an open dialogue with the beautiful garden and forest surroundings.

This composition creates a rich spatial experience, forming a unique winding glass corridor. As residents move through it, they feel as though they are walking along garden paths, breaking down traditional indoor-outdoor boundaries. Each space provides an experience of "almost direct contact" with the surrounding natural environment, meeting modern families' needs for spaces of silence and contemplation.

The façade design is dominated by floor-to-ceiling glazing that dissolves interior-exterior boundaries. The concertina roof design originated from local planning requirements for 20-degree sloped roofs, but the architects transformed this constraint into a design advantage, exposing the folded ceiling indoors to create varying room heights and provide integrated channels for lighting and ventilation systems. White resin floors flow seamlessly into the concrete band surrounding the building, emphasizing continuity with nature.

The material palette is extremely restrained, predominantly white with only dark brown oak-veneered structures as accents, creating what the architects describe as "a place of silence and contemplation." The architects' attention to detail is evident at every spatial transition, demonstrating commitment to their overall design philosophy.

"S House" exemplifies how environmental constraints can be transformed into unique design advantages. Here, nature is not merely a backdrop but a central component of the living experience, prompting residents to recognize their symbiotic relationship with the natural environment. The project successfully balances practical requirements of modern living with the desire for natural experiences, creating a family environment that is both avant-garde and intimate.

Design Team - PL.Architekci was established by Katarzyna Cynka-Bajon and Bartłomiej Bajon in 2005, both graduates of the Faculty of Architecture and Urban Planning at Poznań University of Technology. Katarzyna received a scholarship to study at the Faculty of Architecture at the University of Hannover, Germany, from 2004-2005. This Poznań-based architectural practice has grown to become one of Poland's most influential contemporary architectural firms.

Currently, the PL.Architekci team is led by the founding partners and includes 8 professionals: architects Agnieszka Jurenko, Bartosz Stanek, Karol Kremski, Zofia Piwińska, interior architect Agnieszka Sukienniczak, and architectural assistant Michał Rams, providing comprehensive services including architectural design and interior design. The firm is known for its keen understanding of spatial experience and environmentally sensitive design, with works often showcasing seamless integration of architecture and interior design.

PL.Architekci's design philosophy emphasizes "the holistic nature of architecture and interior design," believing that interiors create architecture and architecture creates interiors. They view each project as a complete environmental experience, carefully considering how restrained choices of materials, colors, and art affect living quality.

The firm has received numerous awards for excellence in design, including recognition in the 2025 Architectural Digest AD 100 inaugural Polish list, the 2024 SARP Poznań Grand Prix for the Wielkopolska Province Architectural Award, and multiple nominations for national SARP architectural awards. Both founders are members of the Wielkopolska Chamber of Architects, the Polish Architects Association SARP, and the Interior Architects Association SAW.

Through projects like "S House," PL.Architekci demonstrates its unique ability to create architectural works that both respond to natural environments and meet the demands of modern living, representing the forefront of contemporary residential design in Poland.