Home for independent mothers in Warsaw

The two-storey single-family house will house 6 young mothers with children and their guardians. Each teen will have their own private room with a shared bathroom. A large part of the building consists of common spaces, which are crucial for building bonds in a group. In this house, the architecture not only sets the framework for living, but also takes on social functions, and the space will also have a social dimension. The house is designed in such a way as to encourage young mothers and their children to interact with other residents, take responsibility for the common space and take care of it. The body of the house was shaped to make the most of the daily sun's wanderings and the landscape qualities of the location, creating atmospheric, illuminated interiors. The house is surrounded by recreational and utilitarian greenery. Outside there is a children's playground, as well as a community garden where the residents will be able to grow their vegetables. Adjacent development does not represent a uniform typology of house forms and is diverse in the proportions of buildings and types of roof geometry. A common denominator that helps to inscribe the house into a diverse environment is the free union of two types of solids, but in a slightly different interpretation of the concept of a pitched roof. The building consists of an east wing covered with a gentle slope, housing all the common functions of the house (technical, utility and storage rooms, kitchen and living room), while the main functional functions (residential rooms) are located in the second building covered by a larger pitched roof. However, both of these blocks together do not form a traditional gable roof, but are arranged in a counter-slope. The whole house was designed according to the idea of a sustainable building, based, among others, on renewable energy sources and economical stormwater management. Thus, RES are to supply the facility with both heat for its heating and domestic hot water — for this purpose will be used: a heat pump, photovoltaic cells and local air diffusers with recuperation, and even devices for heat recovery from domestic wastewater. Rainwater will be collected in an underground reservoir, after which it will be used to water the garden and power the toilet. For the construction of the house, where possible, natural materials with a low carbon footprint or recycled materials - such as rubble or wood from demolition - will be used. It has also been thought of radically reducing water consumption and at the same time maintaining a high level of user comfort. For this purpose, selected tap faucets, washing machines and dishwashers with a high water saving factor will be installed.

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