102 HOUSE OF TANKS

Every house should have some secret. This house has more than one. The originality of this home has grown from dreams of its owners. The owners - a pair of 35-year-olds with a limited (but not modest) budget and a cloud of dreams. They are fans ... she is keen on architecture of glass and a person longing for the sun the south and the peace of the night ... he is keen on World War II, raw concrete and metal. Opposites attract. They demanded not only a modern house but also a unique emotional experience - a house that would be "their home" - at first sight. Its a challenge.
Owner’s fascination of the war was so strong that he decided to choose region - the area of Miedzyrzecki Fortified Zone. Yet an interesting plot was the lady’s choice. The plot although beautiful it was also challenging - limited from one side by a tedious road and from the other side by a wall of the forest - like everything else in this project it was a compilation of opposites.
This fusion of contrasts became inspiration for design of the house, which has two opposite faces: it is reliable, intimate, reserved from the road and it is uncovered and totally open for the forest. From the road it is separated with a concrete wall which refers to nearby bunkers. On the opposite side there is a negative - a fully glazed facade which is open to the garden that in the summer months even enters into the house interior.
The house has a friendly and spacious interior. A very large area (approximately 140m2) was divided into a living area with patio, a night zone and a garage integrated with the house. The interior of the house (with a garage!) has become an area of exposure for owner’s collection of military memorabilia and souvenirs.
Although the house is small, the idea to "break" of reinforced concrete shell has offered a surprisingly rich and varied interior space. The aim was to avoid a monotonous interior and to make it more spacious but spatially heterogeneous space that would reflect the owners’ "dance of opposites".
The gravity of the concrete block of the house was broken by paintings reminding of childhood games in soldiers. As a result of these actions the block of the house is lapidary and legible and it establishes a dialogue with the local context, with the needs of the investor, with the history and finally it is the owners’ pride.
Achieving such an effect should be attributed to unique openness of the owners who when asked "Would you let yourself be surprised?" replied "Thats what we came to you for." This consent for a surprise was a huge motivation for us – it was the best motivation to create a place that will make them feel special, that will let them experience an unforgettable feelings, that will connect them to the house which from this moment will be not just a place of dwelling but truly "their" place.