Konieczny’s Ark by KWK Promes: A Floating Mountain Retreat in Brenna

  • Project: Konieczny's Ark
  • Architect: KWK Promes
  • Location: Poland, Brenna
  • Year: 2015
  • Area: 138 m2
  • Photography: Olo Studio

Perched high on a steep slope in the Polish town of Brenna, Konieczny’s Ark is an architectural marvel that merges rural simplicity with cutting-edge structural innovation. Designed by KWK Promes, the award-winning studio led by Robert Konieczny, the home reinterprets the form of a traditional barn into a bold, modern residence suspended above the terrain.

Design Inspired by Nature and Risk

The site posed serious challenges. Located in the Silesian Beskids mountain range, the sloped terrain presented an increasing risk of landslides—a natural hazard growing more frequent in Poland’s mountainous regions. To mitigate this, the architects conceived the house as a structural bridge rather than a typical foundation-based building.

Only one corner of the home touches the ground, while the rest of the structure floats above, supported by three slender concrete walls. This allows rainwater to flow naturally underneath the house, reducing soil erosion and mimicking the form of an ark navigating a floodplain.

A Barn Transformed: Form and Function

Although it appears futuristic, the home adheres to local zoning laws requiring a gable roof, typical of traditional Polish barns. The resulting form is minimalist yet powerful, combining:

  • A pitched roof that improves runoff and blends with regional aesthetics

  • Inverted structural planes that add tension and rigidity

  • Slight ground clearance that creates the illusion of movement

This dual-roof concept ensures excellent weather protection and contributes to the ark-like identity of the house.

A House That Floats

This architectural approach leads to a unique typology: a house that barely touches the earth. It sits lightly on its site, intervening minimally with the natural landscape and responding intelligently to environmental pressures. The design also ensures thermal performance, structural integrity, and visual drama, all within a compact 1,485-square-foot footprint.

Symbolism and Sustainability

The ark metaphor is not just visual—it reflects a deeper environmental philosophy. The project is a statement on how architecture can adapt to increasingly volatile natural conditions. By minimizing its footprint and working with natural topography, Konieczny’s Ark stands as a model for resilient, site-specific design in vulnerable terrains.

Conclusion: Innovation Anchored in Tradition

Konieczny’s Ark demonstrates how modern architecture can draw from vernacular forms while addressing climate resilience and engineering challenges. It’s a house that literally and symbolically rises above risk—a protective vessel for modern mountain living.

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Posted by KWK Promes

KWK Promes is a Polish architecture studio founded by Robert Konieczny in 1999, based in Katowice. The firm is internationally acclaimed for its innovative, context-driven designs that often include dynamic and kinetic architecture, such as moving walls or rotating structures. Known for projects like the Safe House, Quadrant House, and the National Museum in Szczecin, KWK Promes blends creativity with functionality, focusing on how architecture interacts with people and place. The studio has received numerous global awards, including recognition from the World Architecture Festival and ArchDaily.