ALUCOBOND®

Houses in Masuria, like the families living in them, share the same tactic: they keep a low profile when chilly winds blow in across the flat landscape from the Baltic Sea. This is why this house sits low in the landscape, nestles up against hillocks and tucks itself in under grassy covers. The green pitched roof unfolds out of the upper grassland and continues in line with the terrain behind it. The residents sleep under this protective, concealing roof, which still offers a vista of the lake and, through the skylights, the sky. The private rooms are here, in the upper area. The house follows the lie of the land and two spectacular flights of stairs head down to the lower space. A panorama skylight is set above the inner wooden staircase; the outer stone staircase is spectacularly broad. The stairs lead through a linking element, an entrance cum courtyard, to a glass-fronted living area. Communal family life takes place down here, in an open plan living room with a wide glass façade and a view of the lake. Sheltered from the wind and out of sight under the green roof and the upper level of the terrain, people cook, eat and relax. © Paweł Ulatowski