Grabowski House: A Masterpiece of Audacious Architecture

Unveiling the Award-Winning Design by Miguel Pinto Guimaraes

The design of Grabowski House is a harmonious blend of nature and architecture. Inspired by the site's landscape, Guimaraes envisioned a structure that would seamlessly blend into its surroundings. The house's green roof serves as a visual bridge, connecting the slopes of the valley that splits the vast 350,000 square meters land. The entrance hall, located on the upper floor, is covered by a 20-meter long green slab, further enhancing the house's integration with nature.

What sets the Grabowski House apart is its audacious structure. The upper floor, shaped like a 'U', covers the veranda, dining room, and home theatre. The absence of pillars under the bedrooms on the upper floor creates a sense of openness, reinforcing the connection between the interior and exterior. The house also features a double-ceiling living room and a sculpture garden, catering to the owners' love for art.

The house's realization was a meticulous process, with a focus on using natural materials. Raw concrete walls, wooden ceilings and floors, and natural stone details were chosen for their ability to age gracefully and interact harmoniously with nature. The house's design also features a unique metal structural system called Vierendeel, commonly used in bridge construction, which allowed for the complex structure of the upper floor to be balanced over the veranda.

The Grabowski House is not just a design marvel but also a testament to overcoming architectural challenges. The use of the Vierendeel truss, a truss of rectangular openings, forms the exterior structural skeleton of the house. This innovative solution allowed the bedrooms on the upper floor to be projected over the veranda without any vertical support, making the house a standout example of audacious architecture.

The house's design and construction took a total of 36 months, with 12 months dedicated to the design process and 24 months to construction. The result is a stunning country house that blurs the boundaries between the interior and exterior, roofed and unroofed areas, reinforcing the connection of architecture to nature. The Grabowski House was awarded the Golden A' Architecture, Building and Structure Design Award in 2019, a testament to its extraordinary excellence and impact on the world of architecture.

In conclusion, the Grabowski House is a shining example of audacious architecture, seamlessly blending with its natural surroundings while pushing the boundaries of structural design. Its unique features, coupled with the innovative use of materials and structural systems, make it a worthy recipient of the prestigious Golden A' Design Award. The house is a testament to the creativity and ingenuity of its design team, led by the talented Miguel Pinto Guimaraes.