Kownatki Lake House Calm Geometry: Metal-Clad Refuge in the Pines
Kownatki Lake House sits in Kownatki, Poland, as a refined holiday house by Archmondo Piotr Kowalczyk that draws directly from the quiet Masurian landscape. The project anchors a 36-hectare lakeside development and uses rigorous detailing, robust materials, and a barn-like form to give contemporary leisure living a distinctly local character. Guests move between forest, water, and home with an ease that feels both grounded and deliberate.
Pines edge the water, and a compact gabled form sits just beyond their shade. Light catches on the pale metal roof, then deepens across bands of charred Siberian larch. On approach, the house reads as a single, calm volume, its glazed openings and terrace drawing the lake’s reflections into the architecture.
This holiday house belongs to a broader 36-hectare development in Masuria, where the forest and water set the brief as clearly as any client. Archmondo Piotr Kowalczyk responds with a 110 sqm barn-like house in Kownatki that prioritizes material discipline and clear structure. The work pivots on how the envelope is put together, how it ages, and how it mediates between interior comfort and the rural setting.
Reworking A Rural Archetype
The house starts from the familiar rural gable, a form deeply rooted in Masurian farm buildings. That recognizable outline is tightened into a simple, elongated volume, then wrapped in a standing-seam metal roof that folds down the sides. This metal envelope gives crisp edges and a clear silhouette against the trees, while still aligning with the barn typology. Within generous plots of up to 2000 sqm, each compact volume respects the local grain, allowing landscape and views to remain the dominant presence.
Charred Timber And Ventilated Skin
Around the metal shell, a ventilated façade of ACP panels forms a precise outer layer. Over that, charred Siberian larch slats create a textured, dark surface that pulls the house visually into the forest edge. The controlled spacing of the timber reads as a disciplined screen, tempering light and shadow across the elevations. This layered construction manages weather and breathability while giving the compact form a sense of depth.
Openings To Lake And Garden
Large glazed openings cut through the dark exterior, aligning ground floor rooms with terrace and garden. Every primary room can open outdoors, and lightweight sliding doors let the living area engage the lake on two sides. A generous terrace extends the modest footprint, turning the threshold between interior and landscape into a daily stage for family rhythms. Natural hues—charred larch, pale metal, mineral concrete—keep the palette in tune with water, sand, and pine bark.
Living Core And Mezzanine
Inside, a double height living room with fireplace anchors the plan, holding together cooking, dining, and gathering. Overhead volume gives this central room a sense of release after the compressed approach through trees, while glazing maintains direct sightlines to greenery and lake. Three ground floor bedrooms, including a master suite, sit around this core and balance retreat with proximity to shared life. A sculptural stair rises to a mezzanine suited for work or play, then continues to an upper bedroom with its own bathroom.
Concrete, Ash, And Light
Natural ash wood and architectural concrete shape the interiors with a clear hierarchy of surfaces. Floors and selected walls carry the mineral tone, while ash softens touchpoints and frames views outward. Expansive glazing pulls daylight deep into the plan, so the barn form never feels closed or heavy. Sliding doors, terrace, and garden keep the internal rooms in daily conversation with shifting weather and the slow movement of the lake.
By night, the charred timber shell recedes and the warm core glows toward the water. By day, the disciplined envelope gives shelter while material choices keep the house aligned with its setting. Kownatki Lake House reads as a precise object in the Masurian landscape, yet its measured scale and modest form leave the pines and shoreline to carry the drama.
Photography courtesy of Archmondo Piotr Kowalczyk
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