This old house was bought by architects and converted for themselves. See pictures before and after the renovation

For a skilled designer, a cubic house from the Polish People’s Republic can serve as a well-groomed canvas on which a lot can be created. This typical Polish cube is the best example of this. It was changed by the architects and owners of the house. They were impressed by the one-story building because it had very beautiful proportions and large, well-lit rooms. See pictures before and after the renovation.

Contents

1. Cube house – chosen by architects
2. Reconstruction of a cubic house from the time of the Polish People’s Republic – photos
3. The reconstruction is well thought out
4. Light in the interior
5. Natural plaster – pretend wood
6. Change from within
7. The living room is open to the dining room
8. Concrete ladder
9. See also the effect of rebuilding another cube house

In the 1990s, the cube houses were extensively rebuilt into huts with pitched roofs. Now we can observe the second wave of transformations of this type of house. Despite many disadvantages, they usually have a clear and functional design of rooms taken directly from apartments in residential complexes, often built in prestigious villa areas, where it is now difficult to find a vacant plot. For a skilled designer, cube houses can serve as a well-groomed canvas on which a lot can be created.

Cube house – chosen by architects

The owners of the reconstructed cube are architects by profession. They knew very well how much they could step out of the box of modernity. The lot in Katowice-Brynów is up for sale! He was tempted by his location. The property is considered elegant and the most famous in Katowice. Although it is only a few minutes’ drive from the city centre, it is green and quiet. Low-rise single-family buildings border the city’s largest park, Kościuszki, to the west, and are surrounded by a large forest complex to the south.

The drawback of the plot was its location – the garden in the depths of the plot faces north, and both facades facing the streets have the best south-west lighting. The architects were fascinated by the shape of the single-storey house – it had very beautiful proportions, and the large rooms were well lit.

The technical condition of the building was satisfactory, so the renovation consisted mainly of raising the house and adapting it to the requirements of the new users.

Reconstruction of a cubic house from the time of the Polish People’s Republic – photos

Author: Piotr Mastalers

Before the reconstruction, Kostka’s house had monotonous facades with windows similar to those in the apartment building. The only variety of the building was the numerous apses and the winter garden, that is, a glazed balcony

The reconstruction is well thought out

Thanks to the renovation, all the advantages of the building were highlighted and its disadvantages were skillfully eliminated. The latter reason was mainly related to poor finishing materials, which made the building have a poor lifespan. All the flooring, plaster and tiles were torn off – leaving a bare shell of the house.

The old cube was wearing new clothes. Interfaces came first. Previously, the houses were rather monotonous, because they had large symmetrical three-leaf windows, which made the house look like a small apartment building. The architects kept the shape of the building unchanged, and thanks to new finishing materials and a change in the arrangement of windows, the building achieved a contemporary expression.

The reconstruction process was also guided by a basic idea – simplicity. The goal was to minimize the elements and have the smoothest surfaces possible. Therefore, the new windows are made of gray aluminum joinery, and most of them are large glass panels without any division. Designers analyzed lighting needs, and as a result, most windows changed their dimensions.

See other interesting house designs from the Murator collection:

Light in the interior

Originally, the kitchen had one large window, after the renovation they were replaced by two horizontal windows placed directly above the worktops (under the hanging cabinets), thanks to which the light now falls completely on the worktops. The new window gave the kitchen an opportunity to garden, which he had not had before. In contrast, one of the bedrooms on the first floor has a skylight instead of a regular window, and the bathrooms on both floors now have larger horizontal windows instead of small square windows. In this way, a system of irregular openings of different sizes is created on the facades – the character of the house is created through its interesting abstract composition.

Natural plaster – pretend wood

The body colors of the house are gray – a light color close to white covering the facades, dark graphite and a low base. The accents that warm the whole are light wood inserts, or rather teak-like waterproof laminates. It was used to decorate the corner bar between the kitchen windows and the entire form of the former balcony. The latter has changed the most. It got solid brick walls because its space was integrated directly into the interior of the living room. The former orangery has been transformed into a vanity, with its large glass windows replaced. The house has thus been enriched with an impressive wooden cube.

The reconstructed structure is complemented by modern and minimalist details: tempered glass balustrades placed on the balcony above the large window and accompanying door windows, as well as new entrance stairs in the form of smooth planes that appear to rise into the air because their structure has been skillfully hidden.

Change from within

The interior of the house has seen the most change, especially the ground floor. Previously, it consisted of several separate rooms. The living room and dining room are separated by a wall and connected by a wide door. The kitchen is completely separated. There was also a dark corridor and an isolated staircase. The renovation turned the entire floor into one open space. Most of the walls were demolished. Structurally, this was possible because the internal load-bearing wall was replaced by a beam.

The living room is open to the dining room

The living room is a space full of light, because the large windows face south and west. Previously, their living room was separated by a dark corridor. You can now see the garden from the living room through the large balcony window in the open hall. In the near future, it will be possible to exit through these glass doors onto a large wooden balcony, which the architects intend to build in the park. The living space has an interesting “pocket” – the veranda cavity that was outside the house. There is now a small work area with a desk, and next to the large window is space for the housewife’s flower collection.

Concrete ladder

This space has undergone a major transformation. Its walls appear to be made of concrete, complete with glass balustrades and wooden steps. The effect of architectural concrete is achieved in an ingenious way – it is a plaster that imitates concrete panels.

The first floor is a night space. There is a master bedroom, a daughter’s room, a guest bedroom, a large bathroom and a dressing room. The special character of this part of the house is announced by a soft gray carpet that obscures footsteps. Here too, the aim was to achieve an impression of spaciousness. This time this was achieved thanks to bright colors and plenty of daylight. Previously, the corridor upstairs was dark. After the renovation, there is no need to turn on the lights, as the doors of the entire rooms have been replaced with transparent panels of milky glass.

Author: Piotr Mastalers

The hall on the ground floor has become more spacious. The dark panels were replaced with light plaster, and the vestibule door was replaced with completely transparent glass

See also the effect of rebuilding another cube house

Author: JURIKU Architects/Renovation of the Year Competition Participants’ Materials

Before reconstruction, the house was neither functional nor insulated

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