Polish architects create townhouse project with ‘gills’

Polish design studio Superhelix Studios have come up with a unique style of townhouses that overlap and appear to have gills, in order to better utilise space.

Led by lead architect Bartłomiej Drabik the studio built the units in collaboration with BZMT the outer suburbs of Krakow which is a region dominated by old-school 1990s terrace buildings.

GALLERY  

The small-scale residential development is made up of three blocks, each with two units and a garage.

Planning regulations and a small 580 square metre block meant the firm had to come up with a creative approach for the space and allow each unit to receive as much sunlight as possible.

Each unit angles outward as it overlaps its neighbour which allows more natural light to stream in and simultaneously maintain privacy as the units don’t face into each other.

From a front or above view the walls look crooked and continue up to the roof surface while unusual dormers illuminate the attic rooms, giving the appearance of gills.

The walls of the houses are plastered in the same colour of the standing metal seam sheets on the roof which gives the building uniformity.

Its window frames and niches are completely black which emphasizes the structure’s layout and makes the gills more prominent from a distance.

The interior layout and the number of rooms can be modified according to the changing needs of their residents, but the default model is the ground floor unit offering four bedrooms and the apartment above offering six bedrooms and spanning two levels.

The layout has been focused on functionality and each unit has a dedicated small nook ‘for communication’.

The firm has also recently completed a ‘House behind the roof’ project in the area, hiding a large townhouse from view under a green grass roof.

Images Superhelix Studios






Get our enews

Design and development news that comes to you

Subscribe
                 


Historic Canadian Hotel Reimagined as a Rural Cultural Anchor

In the heart of Prince Edward County’s main street in Picton, Ontario, a once-crumbling Victorian-era hotel has been ...

Conquest Unveils $1B Eastlakes Precinct Plan

Private equity real estate firm Conquest has revealed plans for a $1-billion transformation of the Eastlakes Shopping Centre ...

Timber-Led Design for Cleveland Foundation HQ

S9 Architecture has completed a striking new headquarters for The Cleveland Foundation in Cleveland, Ohio — a timber-framed ...

Housing Boost Hinges on Innovation as States Roll Out 2025–26 Budgets

A suite of housing-focused measures announced in the 2025–26 State Budgets across the ACT, New South Wales, Queensland ...

Where to Find Tailored Tax Tips for Tradies

The Financial Year is just about to end, and for tradies, it’s important to know exactly what you ...

  MORE  

Stay connected to the SPEC

Join our reader network by signing up to our weekly newsletter and receive design and development news straight to your inbox





Specifier Source is brought to you by the same company that publishes Home Design, Grand Designs Australia Magazine, Kitchens & Bathrooms Quarterly Magazine, Outdoor Design Source, Build Home, CompleteHome and many more.

© 2022 Universal Media Co. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy. Terms of Service. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Universal Media Co.