In recent years, a lot of negative opinions and a lot of emotions have built up around Polish developers. And I am not surprised. Some of the actions, often tragic projects plus scandals with their rendering are unacceptable to me. It reminds me at times of the mindless fun of the early 90s, where the only goal is profit at any cost. But I don’t like to go to extremes! So today I look for projects and inspiration that respect space, the city, people and the planet. I look abroad, of course, I glance at the winning competitions for young architects, and I also look at some appreciated projects in Polish cities. I follow the trends. Come with me on a stroll through housing developments!
The situation in the housing market has been changing for some time. It is dynamic, but I would not like to touch on this topic here. We don’t know what will happen in a month, two, six months and I wouldn’t want to speculate. I prefer to raise the topic of well-designed settlements and the future of architecture from the context of ecology and man.
I notice a change in the attitude of some Polish investors. Eco-trends or innovations can already be seen in the industry. This is demanded by the times we live in and the climate crisis breathing down our necks, as well as the development of ecological awareness among clients that follows. There have been changes in needs. Will these trends consolidate and become standard? We’ll see.
Are eco-changes coming at us
More and more investments are being made with low-carbon materials. I also suspect that energy efficiency and self-sufficiency will become the standard. There is a chance that photovoltaic panels and heat pumps will be the norm in a few years and will make buildings producers of green energy rather than sinks of it. I also hope that water recovery, i.e. gray water recycling and retention water collection, will meet this fate. This is already happening, but is not being popularized in multifamily buildings. Autonomous housing estates are a must!
Green obliges. Designs for such estates also include the introduction of green walls, which reduce CO2 levels in the air. Green roofs, in turn, super insulate heat, filter pollutants, dampen noise, reduce urban heat islands and are a haven for insects and birds.
Photo: livingroom24
Smart home technology and the Internet of Things will become widespread in new projects – we are already accustomed to them – a convenience that has become part of our lives. Remote control of the washing machine, gate, electric cooker or heating is already standard. The same will happen with charging stations for electrics in garage halls.
More social interaction
Poles have a strong attachment to property. Our Polish: “cramped but owned,” has been shaken a bit by the pandemic, which has changed our needs and shown that social contacts are very important and without them… we decline in mental health, our nervous system suffers, and all this affects the quality of life in every aspect. We slowed down. A little out of compulsion, but we’re not going back to pre-pandemic times. Shared spaces and neighborhood life are reflected in the projects – a resident’s club, a shared roof terrace, an outdoor gym or a garden library are examples from Poland (e.g., Leśna Sonata and Jaskowa Dolina from Gdansk). The service and recreation part, as well as shared terraces and the so-called “living room” and coworking for residents are proposed by Poznan’s FIQUS Marcelin.
Greenery and nature will be extremely important in the design of apartment developments. We’re all familiar with examples of rachitic plantings, trees in pots and other incongruous green elements amidst a flurry of concrete. Green designs, however, are something completely different. It is climate-adapted vegetation, low and high, that even pours into apartments. Such creatively arranged greenery is one of the basic needs of clients, especially in estates that are far from forests or parks. Mixed-used estates, i.e. those that meet the needs of housing, recreation, well-being, integration, i.e. good inter-neighborhood relations, care for comfort, health and do not generate stress, are a strengthening trend.
Harmoniously combining the needs of residents, concern for their health, lowering the cost of housing with the need to protect the planet is the most important task. Let’s take a peek abroad.
Baugemeinschaft model, namely care for everyone
An extremely interesting example of the developer-not-developer model has arisen in Germany. It concerns cooperative construction programs called Baugemeinschaft. In this idea of design and construction, future owners partly take on the role of developers. Thanks to this, they have an influence on the built-up space, on the shape and character of the common parts, on the architecture. How does it happen that on the “construction site” the residents’ voices are also heard and their needs are taken into account? An established Baugemeinschaft group oversees everything.
What is this group? The city gives it a management role, giving it priority over developers and, as I understand it, a form of intermediary between residents and construction contractors. I read about this idea in David Sim’s book “Soft City” (full review HERE).
On the pictures:
The community is made up of people with different needs, resources, dreams.
The city is proposing a plan to develop the site divided into lots, which allows for a number of individual projects.
Baugemeinschaft. Each group is working on the development of a project and a calendar for the implementation of its own venture.
The result is a diverse urban landscape with a strong identity, with buildings tailored for their users.
graphics: D.Sim “Soft city” Wysoki Zamek publishing house
David Sim writes that this distribution of power during the design and construction of a place to live evokes the spirit of neighborly community from the very beginning of the project: “Baugemeinschaft members actually select their neighbors at the start. During the planning and construction process, they get to know each other better and have the opportunity to withdraw from the project in case of any disputes. By the time the building is commissioned, the neighbors have managed to get to know each other enough that they can smoothly transition to daily coexistence. The Baugemeinschaft model allows buildings to be erected that are better suited to the needs of their occupants. Tenants are more likely to care for the building and feel attached to it. This is the foundation of a stable community.” It makes sense to me!
Photo: travelfeed
Interesting projects of this type can be found in Freiburg, for example: Rieselfeld and Vauban, which further stand out as examples of high-quality new housing in vibrant neighborhoods with a distinctly urban character.
Vauban is a housing development built on the site of a former French military base on the outskirts of the city. The estate plan was developed by the Freiburg city government, with the support of the Green Party and the participation of various local grassroots initiatives led by the Baugemeinschaft group, as well as private developers, to ensure a diversity of potential buyers. “Multiple parties could bid for the same plot of land, and the financial criterion was not the only decisive one. The city gave the Baugemeinschaft group a stewardship role, so to speak, giving it priority over developers when it offered more affordable prices, ensured a diversity of residents and the use of renewable resources and better energy efficiency.” – reads David Sims’ book “Soft City.”
There was a focus on diversity, not only of buildings, but also of residents, that is, on social diversity. Each quarter had its own social “profile” and future residents were “selected” according to this key. Thus, diversity in terms of age, occupation, marital status, number of children, previous address, location of current workplace and status of resident (owner or tenant) counted. All this was done to ensure harmonious neighborhood coexistence.
Another important thing about this model is just the cost and risk. The developer’s marketing and profit costs as usual are dropped. Future residents will also find it easier to invest in better materials and installations and technological solutions, which reduces the cost of building maintenance.
Estate for the American farmer
Dominika Bednarek’s engineering diploma from the Faculty of Architecture at Wroclaw University of Technology, “Low-carbon housing estate for families of agricultural workers,” has been awarded in the international Architecture at Zero competition in the student project category. This is a very interesting work!
graphic Dominika Bednarek
The goal of the competition is to promote low-carbon, zero-energy buildings and eco-friendly ideas and strategies. The projects are intended to respond to climate change and extreme temperatures, while on the other hand providing comfortable living conditions for residents.
The theme of the competition was strictly defined: the design of a housing development for farmers in the city of Visalia in the California Valley. The estate had to comply with California standards for zero-energy and harsh climatic conditions, heat and fire hazards. A community house and a recreational complex with a multipurpose field and playground also had to be designed.
Dominika Bednarek’s Urbanvillage design concept was praised for its simple, accessible architecture, detailed design analysis and passive solutions.
The author focused strongly on decarbonization and renewable energy sources. “The project integrates passive solutions, and the design decisions made are well documented, both the idea and the graphic design of the project are clear. The proposal, thanks to its composition, is not monotonous – the form of the buildings, their arrangement, as well as the arrangement of the patio have been well thought out, and the elevations have been diversified thanks to the interesting placement of woodwork.” – We read in the justification of the jury.
The author referred to local traditions. The estate provides space for neighborhood integration for people of all ages. Numerous terraces, greenhouses and the arrangement of vegetation between the buildings guarantee contact with nature.
Using sustainable architecture solutions, the estate is adapted to California’s climate conditions. The student used both natural building materials hemp concrete passive wall system and green roofs.
All buildings in the estate have been equipped with rainwater tanks and shaded water tanks to store water.
The author has relied on tall shade greenery and succulents to store water and withstand harsh weather conditions. The estate also has gardens and greenhouses where residents could grow fruits and vegetables – mainly citrus, olives and grapes.
The California heat was harnessed through solar energy systems thanks to an extensive system of photovoltaic panels and a perovskite system. The author also used transparent glass cells that let the sun’s rays into the interior and provide good illumination while harvesting solar energy.
The idea of the young architect is, in my opinion, a perfect example of how you can turn disadvantages and spatial difficulties into pluses. It’s also a project that respects people. Look: the development of the estate is quite dense, and yes I know it’s a project, but the vegetation and attentiveness of the designer make it possible to live there well. This was also appreciated by the jury. My congratulations!
Back in the country
Do we have settlements in Poland that escape the drawer with the word “patodevelopment”? Of course we do! There are many of them, not all of them meet the highest standards, and to each I could complain about something, but that’s not the point here.
Four examples that I like more than others or that have one element that convinces me are:
- Nowy Nikiszowiec, Katowice
So controversial right away? 😊 I’m smiling because I have a little problem with Nowy Nikiszowiec. I like the estate very much, because it refers to the old Nikiszowiec, it is designed on the plan of quarters, it has space and community gardens, which promotes integration, but… well, there is a “but”. A large chunk of forest was cleared for the New Nikiszowiec. That’s one thing. Do you see any preserved trees on the estate? Unfortunately, no. That’s two. I believe that if a forest is cut down at a time when every tree should be at a premium, then elements of it should be preserved inside the quarters. And that’s why I have a problem with Nikiszowiec.
Photo: architektura.muratorplus
photo: UM Katowice PFRN
- Nowe Naramowice, Poznań
I wouldn’t have paid attention to this housing development if I hadn’t once read about it at Filip Springer’s. Visually: it’s not my style. But a huge plus for preserving space for residents to integrate. I remind you the project is from 2009, a time when developers were quite cruel when it came to squeezing the number of square meters for sale. The square itself does not fully convince me, it is paved, it could have been more finesse here, but it IS. Children can play safely, adults can spend time here with a cup of coffee.
Photo: echoinvestment
- Mieszkaj w mieście, Cracow
I’m going to go ahead and surprise you further. Do you see this space? Yes, it turns out that in times of overdevelopment by force, such a settlement can be built. The architecture is fairly typical, but the huge space competing with the big slab estates impressed me.
Photo: Medusa Group
- Riverview, Gdansk
I like nice interiors and well-designed buildings. After the above two projects, which visually don’t quite suit me, I chose this Gdansk development. Located on the banks of the river, the buildings with brick facades and soaring roofs are reminiscent of Hanseatic architecture. Riverview are the first blocks of flats in Poland realized with the use of ecological solutions taking into account the criteria of American LEED certification. Materials were used in their construction that allow for better insulation of the building. As a result, the estate is much more sustainable and adapted to climate change.
Photo: Vastint
PwC’s “Emerging Trends in Real Estate 2022” report shows that buildings account for about 40 percent of global energy consumption and carbon dioxide emissions. The construction industry affects greenhouse gas emissions and contributes to global warming. This is a huge responsibility! Will green autonomous settlements created for people, with respect for the planet and forward thinking in the choice of materials become a new trend? On the one hand, the new reality and increasing customer awareness are forcing such solutions. On the other hand, our world is so unpredictable that it is difficult to be strong on theories and prescriptions. I hope that “the power is with us.” In any case, I can’t imagine going back from the path I took some time ago.
And how do you see the future of construction?
