WUT students and a graduate have designed a house and a painting studio in the Latgale region of Latvia. The work received an honorable mention in the international Painters' Lake House competition.

The main objective of the competition, organized by the Buildner platform, was to design a residence for painters – a house and a studio located on the shores of Lake Cernostes in Latgale. It is one of the greenest regions of Latvia. The key area was to be a painting studio – a versatile, open space with lots of natural light that may be divided into smaller, more private zones. The jury also looked for concepts that focus on sustainable development and respect for the environment.

Students of the WUT's Faculty of Architecture, Adam Górka and Łukasz Rossa and its graduate – Joanna Barbachowska proposed a project in the spirit of re-use.

The design consists of two buildings: a house and a carpentry workshop, the authors of the project: Joanna Barbachowska, Adam Górka and Łukasz Rossa

– Our design of the painter's house is based primarily on the vernacular architecture of the eastern part of Latvia – the Latgale region. The most crucial element of the house was the tiled stove, around which all the household functions were concentrated. This idea served as a starting point for the final design outcome – the authors say.

The interiors are centered around a stone oven, the authors of the project: Joanna Barbachowska, Adam Górka and Łukasz Rossa

The team proposed two separate buildings – a house for two families, as well as a craftsman's workshop, in which they placed a painting studio and a small carpentry workshop. In both buildings, like in traditional construction, the stove was placed in the center.

The wooden house is topped with a squat gable roof. The windows are designed in such a way as to create the impression of a living image. Each one offers a unique frame of the landscape of the nearby lake.

– We wanted the designed building to fit into the existing natural landscape and be a modern expression of Latvian architecture – the authors conclude.

Large windows act as a living image. Interior of the painting studio, the authors of the project: Joanna Barbachowska, Adam Górka and Łukasz Rossa

Interestingly, the project utilized facade planks from the old building and used stones from the foundations for the construction of the stove. The roof was topped with reeds growing in the vicinity of Cernostes Lake. 

Source: Architecture & Business.