A Modern Forest Retreat With an Indoor Pool Outside Warsaw

"On the wooded outskirts of Warsaw, Poland, a one-of-a-kind residence emerges from the trees - a modern home designed as a refuge and a tangible archive of the owners' lifelong journeys. The Sadowski House, created by architects Wojciech Kotecki of BBGK Architekci and Katarzyna Mach, is more than a piece of contemporary Polish architecture; it is a deeply personal project shaped by travel, memory, and a desire to live close to nature."

"The clients, a couple of seasoned travelers, envisioned a home that would not only serve as a place to live but also as a showroom for their experiences. Having explored deserts, polar regions, and remote landscapes across the globe, they wanted a house that could hold their memories and showcase their collection of artifacts gathered along the way. This wish guided the architects toward designing a residence that balances privacy with openness, reflecting both the couple's adventurous spirit and their need for a peaceful retreat."

"The design draws from traditional nomadic shelters such as tipis, yurts, and igloos - simple yet resilient structures where communal living thrives beneath a shared roof. The architects reinterpreted this concept into a modern form: a single-story house wrapped by an expansive tent-like roof, organizing all living areas at ground level. The result is a home where the inhabitants remain constantly connected, both to each other and to the surrounding forest."

Located on the wooded outskirts of Warsaw, the Sadowski House serves as both a refuge and a living archive for a couple of seasoned travelers. The single-story plan is wrapped by an expansive, tent-like roof inspired by tipis, yurts and igloos, concentrating all living spaces at ground level. Generous floor-to-ceiling glazing, a 72-foot sliding window and inward-facing courtyards blur boundaries between indoors and the surrounding pine grove. A central atrium garden with a retractable glass roof reveals seasonal sky and enables cross-ventilation when opened. Interior spaces accommodate and display a global collection of artifacts while balancing openness with privacy.

Read at Design Milk