settling on a hill in the suburbs of poznań, poland, the ‘slab house‘ by architecture practice mode:lina is a simple, uncomplicated three-story dwelling, that looks like a LEGO toy structure. the architects had to inscribe the structure into the steep terrain, and though they were expecting a challenge, the solution and the consequent volumetry turned out to be unexpectedly, childishly easy. 

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all images courtesy of mode:lina 

 

 

mode:lina has separated the three floors with slabs, making the building resemble childrens’ favourite LEGO blocks. the ground floor accommodates the technical part of the house, along with a garage. this area is covered with a constructive slab, allowing for flexibility of upper-level planning.

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the first level has been divided into 5 cubicles, that hold key functions and include: a dressing room, guest bedroom, bathroom, functional space combined with a kitchen, and a chimney with audio/video infrastructure. spaces between cubicles were separated with glass walls, allowing the living room to flow seamlessly into the dining room and the circulation corridors. on the upper floors, the slabs extend organically further outside, to generate terraces. 

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the second story is separated with another slab, in a similar fashion to the first one. however here, the cubicles are disjointed, forming two smaller standalone house-like structures. one houses the parent’s bedroom along with a wardrobe and a bathroom. the second one serves as the children’s bedrooms, with an additional mezzanine that overlooks the daily area on the first floor. 

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the building’s final shape fits into the terrain, harmoniously. horizontally, enormous slabs create an intriguing contrast to the high hill, creating, at the same time, space for the terraces with the view of the city’s panorama.

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project info:

 

name: slab house
designer: mode:lina
location: poznań, poland

 

 

designboom has received this project from our ‘DIY submissions‘ feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.

 

edited by: myrto katsikopoulou | designboom