Paweł Naduk was born in 1977 in Warsaw, Poland. In the late 90s, the young architect established his own firm: 77 Studio Architektury. Among his creations, notable works include the 3 Ogrody house, The House on the Edge (SARP Award of the Year 2024), the centre for disabled people in Kielce, the Książenice primary school or the New Hill Park residential complex in Warsaw.
His passion for architecture began in his childhood, when his father, who worked in the design office of a large company in Warsaw, showed him beautiful, hand-drawn sketches of the projects he was involved in. “The chiaroscuro on the drawings of the elevations had some kind of magical power for me. I knew, even then, that this was the field in which I wanted to pursue my career”, admits Naduk.
Was it your long-cherished fascination with architecture that led you to open your studio before you graduated?
I studied at the Faculty of Architecture at the Wrocław University of Science and Technology and I made the decision to open my own studio quite early on. In 1999, my architecture studio, 77 Studio architektury, was established, including an important number in its name: the year of my birth and, at the same time, a reference to the famous Polish novel Kolumbowie. Rocznik 20, by Roman Bratny, which fascinated me at the time.
Similarly to poets born around 1920, for my generation of architects, the transition into adulthood was associated with a clash with a completely new reality that had an impact on our creative possibilities.
On the one hand, I grew up behind the Iron Curtain, and all the absurdities of the communist economy were familiar to me. On the other hand, Poland was undergoing enormous changes at that time: we had the desired democracy and free market. Noticing the changes and transformations taking place in the environment shapes awareness, allows us to look at many things with distance, but also gives us courage and faith. That is why it was important for me that these feelings also translated into the projects that I wanted to create in the 77 Studio architektury studio.
Your architecture tries to respect the local identity and the social and historical context of a given place. What are your guiding principles?
I assume that architecture is the art of context - supplementing and building new quality in the existing environment. In my opinion, a well-designed building should take into account the existing historical, natural and cultural conditions. I am aware that the buildings designed by 77 Studio architektury will co-create the landscape for decades to come. I am more aware of this today than I was a quarter of a century ago, when the studio was established.
This is particularly important in the era of globalization. And I do not only mean the effects on the environment or the carbon footprint. The rapid exchange of information and the unification associated with it have also left their mark on architecture. The entire Western world is currently under the influence of modernism. Residential buildings, shops and production plants that are being built are similar to each other. That is why, in the studio, we set ourselves the important task of deeply analysing the place where the building will be erected, in order to search for the identity of a given location. In our opinion, it is extremely important to strictly assign the building to the place where it will be built.
"I assume that architecture is the art of context - supplementing and building new quality in the existing environment. In my opinion, a well-designed building should take into account the existing historical, natural and cultural conditions."
A large part of your projects are residential and set in natural surroundings. What is the key to creating a real home?
I always emphasize that we design for people and always with them in mind. We create an environment for living - rest, work or recreation - in full symbiosis with the surroundings. Our goal is not a visualization of the project or an improved photo, but positive, long-lasting emotions resulting from a harmonious relationship between people and the environment. The priorities of our search are to bring the interior space and nature closer together, to shape and play with light, as well as sincere care for maintaining the human scale in every aspect of the project.
A designed object is never an object suspended in a vacuum. It is always located in some natural environment. We believe that it should coexist with this environment, co-create it, especially if it is to serve as a lifelong residence.
That is why, in the houses we design, we try to release similar emotions to those that accompany us when communing with nature - being in the forest or on the beach. And we try to refer to these positive experiences every time.
You have over 25 years of experience. The industry has evolved a lot in terms of sustainable development during this time. Do you use environmentally friendly materials in your projects?
Aware of climate change, in our studio we are guided by the principles of sustainable development. We use passive solutions, local solutions, natural materials, as well as all the latest environmentally friendly technical solutions.
In our opinion, environmental care is particularly important in the process of creating new industrial architecture. We strive to maintain a compact cubic shape of the building, which is the most effective form in terms of energy savings. It allows for maximum use of the building's usable area and its design so that it can - depending on the needs - change its functional layout or purpose over the next decades.
In our projects, we try to fit into the contemporary trends of ecology and functional universalism in architecture. Hence, the buildings we design do not only stand out by obtaining energy from renewable energy sources, such as photovoltaic panels or heat pumps, but also by open water reservoirs, green roofs or façades covered with vegetation.
Your projects are distinguished by the durability of the materials used. Is this a sign of respect for the environment?
Of course, because their behaviour over time has a direct impact on the environment. Such materials do not require rapid replacement in the process of natural destruction, which means incurring costs by the investor and to the detriment of the natural environment.
In addition to durable building materials such as concrete, considered today to be the material of the future, which we most often recommend in the construction of industrial buildings and houses located in challenging terrains (such as slopes), our projects primarily feature brick, high-quality wood, noble steel or granite on the façades.
This year, your project "The House on the Edge" won a distinction in the prestigious Polish competition SARP Award of the Year 2024 in the category of residential construction. Its connection with nature is worth noting. What role do glass surfaces play in this context?
The jury, composed of outstanding architects, appreciated the special culture of respect for the surrounding nature, which permeates the interior, creating a unified whole with it in the perception of the living space.
“The House on the Edge” was built on a plot of land located on the border of a single-family housing estate and a landscape park. The massive, two-storey houses that dominated the area contrasted strongly with the natural surroundings of the wild park, which prompted us to look for a keystone that would unite both spaces. This is how the idea of a house was born: to create a sort of common set, combining both a residential estate and a forest area. We wanted to achieve the effect of the gradual disappearance of the estate right next to the forest.
In the justification, the competition jury emphasized that the very light, yet modern glazed body of the building fits perfectly into the space without standing out. The subtlety of the form was also appreciated, taking into account the residential nature of the building.
The glass surfaces of the house blur the boundary between the interior and the exterior from the forest side. The interpenetration of one space with the other is enhanced by the use of the same finishing materials both indoors and on the façade. All this makes you feel like you live in a forest, while providing plenty of light inside.
