DOI: 10.5277/ARCHITECTUS

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Articles

Aleksander Owerczuk - Wooden four-family houses of the interwar period in Hajnówka and Czarna Białostocka

doi:10.37190/arc250101

Wooden architecture, including residential architecture, is an important element of the landscape of Podlasie. Interesting examples of it can be found in Hajnówka and Czarna Białostocka. Both towns owe their dynamic development in the interwar period to the timber industry. For the rapidly increasing number of inhabitants at that time, new houses were built.

The subject of the research were two housing estates of four-family houses in Hajnówka and one in Czarna Białostocka. The main goal of the author of the article was to expand knowledge in the field of wooden buildings of the interwar period in the Podlaskie Voivodeship. The basic task was therefore to describe the architectural solutions of four-family houses, as well as the urban planning solutions of the housing estates. The study used methods applied in the research of the history of architecture – gathering information available in the literature on the subject and archival sources as well as field research. The research material obtained was subjected to analysis and inference.

The article discusses the architectural, functional and construction solutions of the four-family houses. All residential buildings, except for minor differences, have the same solutions. In urban planning, very similar layouts were also used in each of the housing estates. They are the result of the conditions of the epoch. The current state of the housing estates was also analyzed in terms of preserving their historical character. Based on it, it can be concluded that most of the buildings have undergone transformations, often to an extent that makes it impossible to identify the historical form. The housing estates as a whole have lost their important quality, which was the architectural homogeneity of the buildings.

Keywords:

    wooden architecture

    quads

    architecture of the interwar period

    residential buildings

    hajnówka

    czarna białostocka

Beata Elżbieta Makowska, Anna Kulig - Krakow-based outstanding architects’ houses from the turn of the 19th and the 20th century – analysis of original corner townhouses from historical and contemporary perspective

doi:10.37190/arc250102

The article discusses Krakow townhouses from the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries designed by Teodor Talowski, Władysław Ekielski and Jan Zawiejski. These projects, which were their own houses, gave them creative freedom that resulted in original and outstanding forms. The corner location on irregular plots with a special spatial configuration (the concentric-radial layout of Krakow) and location along major streets also served as a vehicle for innovative and non-schematic solutions. In developing the designs, it was important for the architects to take into account the existing context, as well as to ensure contact with nature to improve the quality of life for residents (“green facades”, loggias, front garden).

The authors aimed to perform a detailed analysis of the townhouses – their facades, floor plans, construction and functions, as well as to answer questions about how they are used, evaluated and adapted today. The work was based on historical and photographic documentation of the townhouses, in situ research, analysis of available scientific and other studies (space valuation studies, building records).

As a result of the research, it was concluded that the architects’ corner houses represent distinctive formal solutions that have not lost their artistic and functional value today. Analyzing these characteristic urban forms with recognizable details from a contemporary perspective seems important because they are a valuable architectural heritage that should be protected and promoted.

Keywords:

    architecture

    architects' houses

    corner townhouses

    kraków

    turn of the 19th and 20th century

    t. talowski

    w. ekielski

    j. zawiejski

Tomasz Krystkowski - Bold visions, reality, chances for the future. Evolution of the spatial layout of a modernist multifamily residential estate on the example of the Retkinia housing estate in Łódź

doi:10.37190/arc250103

Modernist multifamily housing estates are home to about eight million Poles. In Łódź, almost half of the residents live in such estates. These complexes, built on a massive scale from the 1960s until the political transformation in 1989, will continue to play a significant role in the city’s spatial structure for many decades to come.

The subject of the article is Retkinia - the largest housing estate in Łódź. Developed since the early 1970s, it took its basic shape at the turn of the 1980s and 1990s. The author’s aim is to present the evolution of the estate’s spatial form. Starting from the bold visions of architects designing vibrant commercial-service centers for the estate, individualized public spaces, green recreational areas with rich amenities, or experimental buildings, to a much poorer implementation - a spatial layout devoid of many essential elements, later supplemented and adapted to current needs, yet still “unfinished.”

The research was based on archival queries, analysis and personal assessment of the estate’s space (mutual relations of buildings, public spaces and their equipment, communication system), and literature studies.

The results indicate that the existing spatial layout offers many possibilities for transformations in the context of current residents’ needs and contemporary challenges.

Keywords:

    łódź

    retkinia

    post-war modernism

    housing estate

    spatial layout

    multifamily estates

Hannah Schiefer - Architectural resonance. The Luzi House by Peter Zumthor as an archetype for the synthesis of tradition and innovation in rural areas

doi:10.37190/arc250104

As housing discourse focuses mostly on urban landscapes, it seems necessary to redirect the discourse, which has so far been concentrated on cities, to rural areas as well. The Luzi House in Jenaz, Switzerland, designed by Peter Zumthor as a multigenerational house in traditional log construction, can serve as an example.

Zumthor’s work combines human needs with environmental concerns through techniques based on local tradition, the use of local raw materials, and a planning and construction process based on teamwork. The concept of a multigenerational house also seems valuable for housing that is interested not only in the preservation and regeneration of ecosystems, but also in concepts that utilise the opportunities and potential of demographic change for society, such as the transfer of everyday and social skills between young and old.

The author’s aim is to discuss why the Luzi House embodies the connection between past and present, tradition and innovation through its rootedness in village history and the integration of modern principles of sustainable development. She also shows how Zumthor succeeded in making it not only a landmark, but also a symbol of sustainability and cohesion of rural communities.

Keywords:

    innovation

    tradition

    peter zumthor

    swiss architecture

    wooden construction

    multigenerational house

Emine Banu Burkut - A Polish village in Turkey: A spatial analysis of Polonezköy in the context of housing, city, and cultural relationships

doi:10.37190/arc250105

Polonezköy (Adampol) is a settlement in the Beykoz district of Istanbul, Turkey. Polonezköy was established in the mid-19th century as a result of historical and political relations between the Ottomans and Poland. The residences in Polonezköy attract attention with their structural and spatial characteristics. The issues to be examined in this article are the houses’ design, planning, layout, and spatial features. Determining the parameters of the contact between houses in Polonezköy and nature, the criteria of local/regional style, design suitable for environmental conditions, use of natural materials, establishing sensory experience, and respectful stance towards nature will be evaluated. It has ecological features such as using local materials in the residences, including vegetation in the design, protecting the existing green area, and integrating the residence in harmony with nature. The cultural, and spatial characteristics of Polonezköy residential buildings differ from those of other buildings in the settlement. The method to be applied in the research is creating a historical record through field research, photographs of the buildings, determination of their features, and interviews with their users. It will present a spatial feature sheet regarding the spatial features created by the author in the research area. The research aims to reveal the relations between Turkey and Poland through architectural features and determine the current situation. In addition, important data will be presented for researchers, academicians, students, and those interested in the subject. The unique aspect of this research is that it reveals general literature on the subject and is current field research.

Keywords:

    polonezköy

    adampol

    istanbul

    turkey

    residential architecture

    city

    heritage

Maria Dankowska, Małgorzata Mader - Cooperative housing investments – in search of new methods and tools in revitalization processes

doi:10.37190/arc250106

Revitalization is a complex city-wide process aimed at addressing and meeting local needs, including the improvement of housing conditions. Standards and procedures were regulated in Poland in 2015 by the Revitalization Act, which emphasizes stakeholder participation throughout the process, still requiring the development of methods and tools. The article presents solutions used in the Netherlands, especially proven methods of cooperative investment management. Cooperative models implemented in Europe are also used for the creation, adaptation, and modernization of downtown buildings. Based on the experience resulting from the analysis of area revitalization processes in Łódź compared with models such as CLT (Community Land Trust), the authors attempted to recommend alternative methods of action that will enable broader inclusion of stakeholders in participating in ongoing investment processes. This counterproposal assumes creating conditions for implementing an investment financed jointly by the participants. It provides for cooperation between local government and future users. The authors believe that the analyzed models, used so far mainly in housing investments, can be successfully used in larger urban areas. The adaptation of the CLT model to Polish conditions, due to the necessity of non-profit operations, could be an alternative to the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) method, which raises concerns.

Keywords:

    revitalization

    housing

    cooperation

    participation

    clt

    community land trust

Klaudyna Mentel, Zbyszko Bujniewicz, Luís Miguel Moreira Pinto - Identification of spatial features that may support the integration of students with autism spectrum disorder in primary schools. Case studies

doi:10.37190/arc250107

The number of students with autism spectrum is increasing in schools. Students with autism may need therapeutic support and appropriate adaptation of the school environment. This paper presents a review of literature to identify environmental components that may support the functioning of individuals with autism in schools, as well as an attempt to identify these components in the educational clusters of five selected Danish schools with special classes for students on the autism spectrum. Selected research techniques were applied, such as document analysis, description, explanation, and interpretation.

Effective intervention for a child with autism spectrum disorder should always include both social (supportive) and spatial (architectural) dimensions. Consequently, the selection of facilities for the study was based on findings from the European Agency for Special Needs and Inclusive Education report, which highlights that Danish schools have the highest rate of enrolling students with special needs in separate, non-inclusive classes within mainstream schools, and all selected primary schools were rebuilt or expanded after 2018.

Keywords:

    autism

    architecture

    design

    school space

    integration

    autism spectrum

    primary schools

    denmark

Anna Jaruga-Rozdolska, Artur Zaguła - Lost in translation. Pilot research on the problem of translating human thoughts into the language of the machine

doi:10.37190/arc250108

The article presents the course of a pilot study conducted in early summer 2024 at the Institute of Architecture of the Lodz University of Technology. The initial study was intended to establish the scope of the research with the participation of a larger number of students, scheduled for the last quarter of the same year. Thus, both the pilot study and the subsequent follow-up research are aimed at determining and implementing the most efficient and productive way to alter the standards for educating future architects, adequate to the transformation catalysed by the technological boom tied to the development of artificial intelligence. Another focus of the study was to monitor user-script communication. Significantly, English was not the first language for the survey participants. Therefore, the study touches on the important problem of communicating thoughts sufficiently to achieve the expected results, identifying errors in communication due to both a lack of experience working with generative image models and the need to translate key words into English.

Keywords:

    artificial intelligence

    ai

    artificial intelligence in architecture

    midjourney

    ai in higher education

    architectural design

    prompt engineering

Małgorzata Kurcjusz, Anna Stefańska - Transformative integration of Artificial Intelligence in architectural design

doi:10.37190/arc250109

The introduction of artificial intelligence (AI) into architectural design is changing traditional practices. This article presents a typological classification of AI applications in architecture, focusing on their contribution to conceptual design, performance optimization, and sustainability enhancement, highlighting the transformative impact on processes in the architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) sector. The authors’ aim was to classify and analyze hierarchical applications of AI in architectural design. The main purpose was to assess AI’s role in enhancing creativity, increasing efficiency, and supporting sustainable development practices. Methodologically, the study was based on a comprehensive review of typological classifications, experimental validations, and case study analyses. The synthesis of results from recent literature and actual implementations allows for the evaluation of AI’s potential and limitations at various stages of architectural design.

Keywords:

    artificial intelligence

    ai

    architectural design

    performance optimization

    sustainability

    architecture

Bartosz Adamiczka - Systematics of AI tools supporting creative problem-solving and inventive methods in architectural design

doi:10.37190/arc250110

The dynamic development of artificial intelligence (AI) tools significantly impacts contemporary design processes, including architectural design. These tools open new perspectives for creators, supporting them at various stages of their work. AI in architecture is becoming a key element supporting designers in problem-solving, yet there still lacks a systematic approach and classification of related tools in terms of creative problem-solving, inventive methods, and intuitive approach and metaphorical thinking, which are important in the creation process.

The article focuses on the possibilities of using commonly available artificial intelligence tools to support inventive methods in the creative problem-solving process. The author’s first goal is to systematize AI tools in terms of their potential applications in the context of inventive methods. The second is to identify ways to use these tools at individual stages of creative problem-solving.

The analysis was based on data obtained through desk research and classification of tools according to popularity and functionality criteria. Within the study, tools were grouped into five application areas, relating them to successive stages of the creative problem-solving process.

Keywords:

    artificial intelligence

    ai

    architectural design

    inventive methods

    creative problem-solving

    creativity

Rafał Rucki, Janusz Rębielak, Janusz Gołdasz - Impact of BIM Environment Tool Modifications on Reducing Time for Developing Drawing Documentation in Architectural Design

doi:10.37190/arc250111

This article examines the impact of modifications to tools used in BIM (Building Information Modeling) technology on the efficiency of technical drawing development for residential building projects. It presents research results analyzing how these tool modifications affect the time required to create architectural documentation. The authors focused on the most commonly used BIM tools for this purpose.

BIM technology significantly accelerates the process of creating project documentation in the construction industry. Due to its integrated structure, BIM software has the potential for further improvement of tools used for specific design tasks. To identify the benefits of proposed enhancements, three residential building projects consisting of similar components were developed. Virtual building models and their documentation were created using computer scripts that simulated work in two versions of the BIM environment: default and customized. This method allowed for reducing delays and ensuring objective results.

The time required for preparing drawing documentation for a single-family house in the customized BIM environment was 49.87% shorter, for a multi-family building 36.54% shorter, and for a housing complex 79.74% shorter. To compare the benefits gained from the introduced changes with respect to the time spent on modifications, BIM-proficient designers were asked to create a model of one of the projects, and their working time was measured. These results were then averaged and compared with the time achieved by the computer, establishing the ratio between human and computer work efficiency. These results also considered the time needed to implement changes in the BIM environment, allowing for an assessment of their cost-effectiveness. In the cases studied, BIM environment customization proved beneficial for buildings with an area of 600 m². Such an extensive modification process is usually required only once, and subsequent projects can utilize the already developed environment, leading to further time and cost savings. The obtained results confirm that it is worthwhile to customize BIM tools and develop designers’ knowledge in this field. The described method is one of the few that accurately demonstrates the real measurable benefits of using BIM technology.

Keywords:

    bim

    building information modeling

    bim efficiency

    bim objects

    detailed design

    bim environment customization

Ewa Szymczyk, Mateusz Bukowski - Compactness of Polish Urbanized Areas – Research Methods and Analysis Using the CLC Database

doi:10.37190/arc250112

In this article, the authors presented the dynamics of compactness of urban development in Poland by analyzing assessment methods of this phenomenon and changes occurring over time. They focused three main research questions around methods of analyzing compactness, the relationship between the size of urban municipalities and compactness, and temporal changes. The study covered all Polish municipalities and analyzed selected compactness measures in 2006, 2012, and 2018. By evaluating various analytical methods and using land use data from the CORINE Land Cover database, the authors proposed a new methodology for monitoring urban compactness indicators, thereby supporting data-driven planning decisions and aiming for sustainable spatial planning.

The results reveal patterns and correlations between city size and compactness over time, indicating an overall decrease in building compactness during the studied period (2006-2018). A logarithmic relationship was demonstrated between population size, compactness index, and population density of urban areas. Smaller cities are characterized by greater shape compactness but lower density, while larger cities are more densely populated but at the same time more dispersed. The work contributes to the state of knowledge by introducing and testing a method for assessing urban development compactness in various types of municipalities. Since CLC data covers the entire European Union area, this method can be replicated in any member state, enabling further comparative studies.

Keywords:

    poland

    urban compactness

    population density

    urban areas

    clc

    urban form metrics

Tomasz Dzieduszyński, Olga Czeranowska-Panufnik - Implementing School Streets: A Machine Learning Perspective

doi:10.37190/arc250113

This article focuses on school streets, particularly the process of their creation from a machine learning perspective. The authors presented the possibilities of applying generative adversarial networks (GANs) in implementing the concept of closing school streets, which aims to improve safety and reduce traffic around schools. They analyzed school street programs worldwide, identifying recurring challenges and proposing solutions. Based on an analysis of 51 successful implementations and a new method of extracting urban features, they developed a machine learning model that supports the selection of potential school street locations. This tool is designed to streamline the selection process and increase project efficiency through better adaptation to the local context. Despite certain limitations, such as difficulty in mapping all spatial contexts, the system provides valuable insights regarding urban traffic regulation. The study fills a gap in scientific literature and offers a data-driven approach to designing safer urban spaces.

Keywords:

    school streets

    machine learning

    smart city

    generative adversarial networks

    computer-aided architectural design

Łukasz Damurski, Magdalena Olszyna, Jan Zipser - Spatial and Temporal Accessibility of Local Activity Centers in Wrocław as a Condition for Shaping Neighborhood Cohesion

doi:10.37190/arc250114

This article addresses the concept of neighborhood cohesion from a spatial and functional perspective. The main subject of the authors’ research was the accessibility of local activity centers (LACs) that have been established in recent years in Wrocław. Based on a literature review, they developed definitions of spatial accessibility and temporal accessibility, and then adopted appropriate methodological solutions. In the subsequent part of the work, they presented a city-wide analysis of 21 LACs, including their distribution, structure, and connections with residential buildings, green areas, and public transport facilities. The obtained results allow for drawing specific conclusions about the characteristics of local activity centers and their role in shaping residential neighborhood cohesion. In particular, it was demonstrated that most local activity centers serve nodal functions in the structure of the neighborhoods they serve, and spatial proximity is a key condition for shaping cohesion at the local level.

Keywords:

    neighborhood cohesion

    local activity center

    community center

    spatial accessibility

    temporal accessibility

    wrocław