- Project: Autofamily House
- Architect: KWK Promes
- Location: Poland, Opole
- Year: 2012
- Area: 990 m2
- Photography: Juliusz Sokolowski
In the Autofamily House, architecture meets mobility in a seamless, artful union. Designed by KWK Promes, the innovative residence challenges conventional suburban home typologies by transforming the garage from an afterthought into a centerpiece of spatial and aesthetic experience.
The Driveway as a Gallery and Living Space
In today’s car-centric suburban life, the act of arriving home often begins in the garage—bypassing the traditional front door. KWK Promes embraces this reality by integrating the garage and driveway into the main entrance sequence of the house, forming a multifunctional tunnel that connects car, art, and home.
This entry tunnel is more than a circulation space. Elevated into a representative entrance, it also serves as a private gallery for the owner’s art collection, adding symbolic and functional value. The car becomes a part of the interior—not an intruder, but an integrated design element that enhances lifestyle and spatial experience.
Split-Level Design: Dividing Function and Privacy
The site is accessed only from the south, which posed a challenge: How to separate the driveway from the private garden? The solution came in the form of a split-level structure:
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The driveway remains at ground level.
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The house and garden are raised 3 meters above, shielded by a retaining wall.
To ensure seamless access from vehicle to living space, a gently sloped tunnel driveway was designed, concealed beneath a green roof. This covered route rises from the entrance into the garden, culminating in the elevated home. It creates a landscape-integrated transition from public access to private retreat.
A New Typology for Suburban Living
The Autofamily House redefines the role of the car in architecture. No longer relegated to the “unclean zone,” the garage is now part of a “clean entry experience”—a conceptual shift enabled by contemporary automotive technology and environmental improvements.
This reinterpretation proposes a new residential typology:
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Where the garage is part of the home’s representative function
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Where the driveway is experiential and artful
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Where the car enriches daily rituals instead of merely serving transport
This approach aligns with KWK Promes’ broader architectural ethos—fusing innovation with human behavior to craft homes that respond to real contemporary needs.
Design Meets Sustainability
The driveway’s green roof does more than hide the vehicular path—it enhances biodiversity, supports energy efficiency, and maintains the garden’s visual and acoustic privacy. The tunnel’s walls, which blend into the landscape, act as structural and spatial separators, reinforcing the house’s privacy while supporting its experiential narrative.
Conclusion: Driving into Architecture
In the Autofamily House, every arrival is an architectural experience. By merging the driveway, entrance, and art gallery into a single continuous space, KWK Promes elevates the mundane act of parking into a moment of spatial poetry. This project is not only a reimagination of suburban domesticity, but also a statement on how architecture can evolve with changing lifestyles and technologies.
