The Symbiotic House designed in BXB studio recognized as the most ecological building of the year 2019 according to PLGBC, is a house in which ecological elements accompanied a contemporary architectural block. Our latest project – The Cave House – is a building whose unique and innovative design is a derivative of ecological functional and spatial ideas and the principles of the so-called human-centered biophilic design, i.e. architecture focused on human health and well-being. These two issues – modern design and eco elements become an inseparable, coherent unity here. Moreover, they refer to the local tradition, history of the place, the nature of the surrounding landscape and the principles of sustainable development.
The Cave House is a biophilic architecture, which, in addition to basic issues in the field of function, aesthetics, ergonomics and energy efficiency, focuses primarily on effectively providing the user with the necessary factors affecting his harmonious coexistence with the natural environment, psychophysical condition, and overall comfort of life.
The Cave House – the Human Centered Biophilic Design house
The Cave House, inspired by the legend of the Wawel Dragon, will be built on a plot overgrown with ferns, in the immediate vicinity of the Wolski Forest, near B?onia, and will have a view of the whole of Krakow.
The house is located on a steep northern slope accessible from the road at its lowest point. We decided to place it as high as possible so that from the north it would generate a panoramic view of Krakow, while from the south it would directly connect with the neighboring Wolski Forest.
To optimize communication on a steep slope, we decided on two unusual functional and spatial solutions. We reach the house through a tunnel that starts its course immediately after crossing the property border. In this way, we reduce problems with the driveway and the need for snow removal or road maintenance.
We also create a larger green area of ??the plot, hiding the infrastructure underground. Walking access to the house, and specifically to its southern facade, is via the shortest possible route – we do not go around the building, but simply walk along a natural, green route under the building overhanging the gently undulating mountain slope, which hides underground floors. Thus, we create an inter-storey, shaded forest landscape, which we called The Cave.
The main entrance to the house is formed by both the space of the aforementioned Cave and the undulating shape of the southern façade. It is a modern portal inspired by the centuries-old tradition of forming the entrance zone to the building, but apart from the basic representative functions, it has additional elements that perform specific functions in the building, such as: forming and lighting the forest garden, roofing the entrance zone, acting as static ballast for the overhanging structure of the building as well as the structural basis for internal stairs, the use of air circulation through an external chimney ventilating the building with air filtered by The Cave forest microclimate, while using intelligently controlled windows.
We called the characteristic curve of the portal – the southern façade – the ventilation chimney. It sucks in the air coming from the inside of the Cave, and also forms an arcade that protects the southern façade from sunlight in the summer. At the base of the said chimney there is an automatically controlled window that regulates the flow of natural air into the building, supporting the natural ventilation of the house with air filtered by the forest microclimate.
The curved structure of the ventilation chimney or portal creates an open two-level space inside the house, so this entrance portal has a representative function not only on the outside, but also inside the building. It resembles a large, contemporary, spatial sculpture, on which a representative staircase was supported, leading to the first floor and then to the multi-hipped, zig-zag green roof. It was covered with a flower meadow – another added biologically active space, located above the space of the forest, undulating Cave.
Therefore, we are dealing with a multi-storey arrangement of green areas and hiding the road infrastructure underground. As a result, the building generates more green space than a previously undeveloped plot. Wavy or zig-zag surfaces additionally maximize the real green area.
Above the flower meadow, at the very top of the building, we designed the observation deck in such a way that it levitates over the garden and does not require a railing while maintaining full safety of use. Thanks to this, we do not disturb the scenic experience, including the panorama of the entire Krakow in the north, east, and west, and the view of the Wolski forest from the south. On the terrace covered with a flower meadow, we also designed an outdoor kitchen and a jacuzzi. We also designed a solar farm discreetly hidden in the hollows of a zig-zag meadow.
In the space of the Cave located under the house, we will also find surreal glazing, which we called the Dragon’s Eye. It optically connects the space of the garden and the internal home swimming pool located in the day zone. It is a fairy-tale, surreal skylight reflecting in the mirror surface of the soffit, which multiplies the spatial and visual effect of the mysterious forest Cave.
The ground floor of the building, which levitates over the Cave thanks to the developed steel bridge structure stabilized by the reinforced concrete ballast of the entrance portal, houses an open daily zone – a two-level entrance hall, a living room open to the view of the northern panorama of Krakow and the southern Wolski Forest, a panoramic kitchen in the north-western corner of the house and south-western dining room located directly on the outdoor terrace adjacent to the Wolski Forest. On the ground floor we also located a spa area with a swimming pool glazed on three sides, which has access to external terraces. This will ensure optimal use of the pool throughout the year.
The living area has the character of a modern, modernist, fully glazed interior. The first floor is formed by spaces of smaller rooms, the interiors of which resemble cozy cottages covered with gable roof vaults.
We have equipped the building with an elevator and stairs that connect us with the individual floors, also with the underground space, level -1 and -2. Here we have located fitness, technical rooms and a garage hall. This space has been designed in such a way that specially formed light wells ensure the access of daylight to all underground floors.
The facade of the main block of the building will be formed with dynamically laid bricks, which evoke the scales of the fairy-tale Wawel Dragon. The brick also refers to Krakow’s traditions, the ubiquitous brick forming the surrounding houses, tenement houses and fortifications on the Wawel Hill.
The building will be equipped with the latest intelligent systems that will ensure optimal energy efficiency combined with the natural environment, geothermal energy, irrigation systems, rainwater utilization systems, wall heating and cooling systems, heat pumps, natural ventilation, and the use of solar energy. Through a rational architectural structure, the building interacts with the natural environment, lighting, directions of the world, topography, wind, water, viewing axes, flora and fauna – forest and meadow.
This is one of the most intelligent, ecological, innovative and structurally and technologically complex houses we have ever designed in BXB studio.
- Project: BXB studio Bogus?aw Barna?
- Team: Bogus?aw Barna?, Urszula Furmanik, Justyna Duszy?ska-Krawczyk, Bart?omiej Mierczak, Monika Kalinowska, Magdalena Fuchs, Wojciech Buchta, Marcin Bara?ski, Marcin Owczarek, Aleksandra Gawron, Bart?omiej Szewczyk, ?ucja Janik, Bartosz Karwat, Katarzyna Trzepa?ka, Aleksandra Parchem.
- Category: Single-family house
- Area: approx. 1000 m2
- Location: Kraków, Poland
- Year: 2022-2023
- Client: Private
Why was The Cave House the only house from Poland in the finals of the World Architecture Festival? Here are some surprising facts about this project:
12 Surprising Facts about the Project – The Cave House
Wawel Dragon
The Cave House, inspired by the legend of the Wawel Dragon, will be built on a plot of land overgrown with ferns, in the neighborhood of the Wolski Forest, near Krakow’s Blonia, and will have a view of all of Krakow. It is a building in which modern design referring to the legend of the Wawel Dragon is combined with the idea of ecological and sustainable architecture.
Garden Under and on Top of the Building
The Cave House will have two gardens – one forested in the Cave – under the building, the other in the shape of a waving field located on the roof.
Dragon Facade and Dragon Eye
The facade, with an unusually complex plane, will be covered with parametrically molded brick to resemble Dragon Scales. The Wienerberger ceramics used also refer to Krakow’s traditions, the ubiquitous brick here forming the surrounding houses, tenements and fortifications on Wawel Hill. Together with specialists from Multiko, the architects developed not only the panoramic glass windows that wrap the entire building but also a surreal glass swimming pool similar to the unusual Dragon’s Eye.
Innovative Entry Portal
The architects designed an unusual entrance portal inspired by the centuries-old tradition of forming the entrance area of the building, which, in addition to its basic representative functions, has additional elements performing specific functions in the building, such as forming and illuminating the forest garden, covering the entrance area, acting as a static ballast for the building’s overhanging structure as well as a structural base for the indoor stairs, using air circulation through an outdoor chimney ventilating the building with air filtered by the forest microclimate of the Cave, using intelligently controlled windows.
A Chimney Like Never Before
Designers of the house called the ventilating chimney the characteristic shape of the portal – a wavy facade finished with uniquely laid Wienerberger bricks. The chimney on the facade absorbs air coming from inside the cave and forms an arcade that protects the south facade from the sun’s rays in summer. There is an automatically controlled window at the base of the chimney that regulates the flow of natural air into the building, supporting the natural ventilation of the house with air filtered by the forest microclimate.
Terrace Without Balustrade Levitating Above the Roof
At the top of the building, the viewing terrace has been designed to levitate above the meadow and doesn’t need a balustrade while still being completely safe to use. In this way, the panoramic view of the whole of Krakow is not interrupted. On the terrace, which is covered by a flowery meadow, a customized outdoor Cana kitchen was designed by BXB studio, creating the idea of outdoor living & cooking.
Private Cottages
Interestingly, the living area of the house has the character of a modern, modernist, fully glazed interior, while the first floor is formed by spaces of smaller rooms whose interiors resemble cozy chalets covered by a two-sided roof.
Natural Light in the Basement
The building is equipped with a lift that connects all 2 above-ground and 2 underground levels. Another interesting fact is that the architects brought daylight to the underground levels through specially shaped, glass wells developed together with Multiko engineers.
Ecological Innovations
The building will be equipped with the most recent intelligent systems to ensure optimal energy efficiency fused with the natural environment, geothermal, irrigation systems, rainwater systems, wall heating and cooling systems, heat pump, natural ventilation and the use of solar energy. For the construction of The Cave House, the most modern products for sustainable construction such as Porotherm Klima+ will be used, ensuring 20% lower CO2 emissions in the production process. Through a rational architectural structure, the building cooperates with the natural environment, lighting, sides of the world, topography, wind, water, view axes, forest and meadow.
Tunnel + Cave
Access to the building is another innovative design at The Cave House. To optimize communication on the steep slope, a tunnel was designed that starts after crossing the property boundary and leads inside the building. This reduced driveway problems and the need for snow removal or road maintenance. It also created more green space on the plot, hiding the infrastructure underground.
Pedestrian access to the house, and more specifically to its southern façade, is by the shortest possible route – we do not go around the building, but simply follow a natural forest path under the building, over a gently sloping hillside that hides the underground levels. In this way, we create an inter-storey shaded forest landscape, which we have named The Cave.
Biophilic+Design+Tradition
The Cave House – is a building whose unique and innovative design is a derivative of ecological functional and spatial ideas and the principles of the so-called human-centered biophilic design, i.e. architecture focused on human health and well-being. These two issues – modern design and eco elements become an inseparable, coherent unity here. Moreover, they refer to the local tradition, history of the place, the nature of the surrounding landscape, and the principles of sustainable development.” Bogus?aw Barna?
World Architecture Festival
The World Architecture Festival is the world’s largest festival where architects from around the globe present their projects live, from which judges will select a winner. This year’s finalists include Bjarke Ingels Group, Foster+ Partners, Zaha Hadid Architects, UNStudio, Perkins+Will, Grimshaw Architects, Broadway Malyan or Henning Larsen. Two studios were among the finalists from Poland – BXB studio and 3XA studio from Wroc?aw. The final of the Festival took place in Singapore, at Marina Bay Sands from 29 November to 1 December 2023.
This project is already published on the BXB Studio website.
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