Spontaneous transformation of single family house settlements from 1970–1989 on the examples of Polish cities

Zuzanna Napieralska

doi:10.37190/arc220204

Abstract

The article presents a problem related to uncontrolled and spontaneous transformation of the landscape of single-family house complexes from the period of Polish Socialism. Analyzed transformations are the consequences of the need for house condition improvement, by thermo-modernizing them, building extensions or window frame replacement. These instances of building interference are unavoidable, due to poor house conditions. Currently there are no regulations and criteria describing the correct and effective modernization of single-family buildings in the context of the whole house settlement. Due to uncontrolled renovation of particular houses, chaos enters the unified and transparent layout of house complex. The article presents the current condition of several single-family housing estates from the years 1970–1989. The author intends to find an answer to the following question: is it possible to modernize and extend individual buildings belonging to one coherent housing estate, maintaining its integral character and spatial harmony?

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Zuzanna Napieralska*

Spontaneous transformation of single family house settlements

from 1970–1989 on the examples of Polish cities

Introduction

Spontaneous – according to the dictionary it means

unplanned, running without a plan. The use of such an

adjective in relation to the modernization of individual

buildings in one housing estate was used by the author

on purpose. He treats an estate as one coherent whole,

creating the full urban layout, and each individual build-

ing as its inseparable part. Any modernization processes,

planned only within the boundaries of the house plot,

signicantly aect the reception of the entire complex,

which is especially true when modernization concerns

a large number of buildings. In this context – the context

of a whole estate, these instances of building interference

are not a planned activity, but rather chaotic and usually

causing “visual confusion” in the estate. Problems related

to uncontrolled and spontaneous transformation of the ur-

ban landscape of single-family housing complexes from

the period of the Polish People’s Republic are visible,

however, they are on the margins of the debate between

architects and city managers. These transformations arise

from the need for adapting buildings to the current stan-

dards of thermal insulation, comfort of living and broadly

understood condition of the building. Uncontrollable and

not well thought over modernization actions are highly

justied, however, they usually introduce chaos and dis-

harmony into the housing estate space. We still do not

have any regulations which could control and help inhabi-

tants in the proper conducting of such activities.

The research questions posed by the author concern the

possibility of preserving this, already historical, housing,

while at the same time raising its standard and adapting it to

current requirements and standards. By analyzing selected

housing complexes, the author tries to systematize the mod-

ernization and house transformations taking place there.

Theoretical background

In the housing economy of the Polish socialism period,

four characteristic stages can be distinguished, falling into

the next four decades of socialism. The rst is a period of

Stalinism, lasting from 1946 to 1956. It was a time of in-

tensive reconstruction of Poland after the war and the set-

tlement of the Recovered Territories (northern and western

Poland)

. A compulsory at management was introduced,

based on the top-down allocation of ats and compulso-

ry accommodation of tenants in private ats. During the

Stalinist period, the housing cooperative movement

was

almost completely liquidated and replaced with a central-

ly controlled institution – the Central Cooperative Union.

After 1956, Władysław Gomułka became the rst secre-

tary of the Central Committee of the Polish United Work-

ers’ Party until 1970. The housing policy pursued by his

First legal regulation that had a real impact on the improvement

of the development of individual housing in Poland was Uchwała Nr 81

Rady Ministrów z dnia 15.03.1957 w sprawie pomocy Państwa dla bu

dow nictwa mieszkaniowego ze środków własnych ludności [Reso lu tion

No. 81 of the Council of Ministers of March 15, 1957 on state aid for

housing construction from the population’s own funds] [1].

The spontaneous development of housing cooperatives occurred

at the turn of the 1950s and 1960s, when their role began to increase as

a result of changes in the housing policy. In the 1970s, in connection with

the housing crisis, the government saw hope in grassroots social initiatives.

At that time, small housing cooperatives were established, the members of

which were directly interested in ats realized by these cooperatives. They

were also involved in the implementation of the entire project, starting from

the preparation of documentation, obtaining land for construction from the

city, and ending with the acquisition of building materials and construction.

In this way, most of the single-family estates of that period were created.

DOI: 10.37190/arc220204

Published in open access. CC BY NC ND license

ORCID: 0000-0001-6532-0361. Faculty of Architecture, Wrocław

Uni versity of Science and Technology, Poland, e-mail: zuzanna.napieralska

@pwr.edu.pl

38 Zuzanna Napieralska

government restored housing co-operatives, introduced

housing loans and inuenced the dynamic development

of housing construction. Unfortunately, this period was

characterized by a high shortage of building materials and

savings solutions in the housing sector. This was due to

the pressure of government economic plans to develop in-

dustry and agriculture. The next decade, the period of Ed-

ward Gierek’s rule, brought the greatest development of

housing investments. During that time, in the years 1971–

1980, 2.5 million ats were commissioned for approxi-

mately 10 million Poles [2]. It was connected with the full

industrialization of construction and the widespread use

of the large panel system. During this period, resolutions

were issued that had a real impact on the development

of single-family housing. In 1976, Uchwała Nr 128 Rady

Ministrów [Resolution No. 128 of the Council of Minis-

ters] was implemented. It was to set the direction of devel-

opment and standards for this type of house construction.

According to the Resolution, single-family housing, car-

ried out by cooperatives or individually, was to be treated

as an important link in the development of the national

residential program. However, the emphasis was placed

on intensive, dense type of construction, in the form of

terraced, atrial or semi-detached houses, with a limitation

of a usable area

[4], [5]. The 1980s was characterized

by a slowdown in the housing economy and the econom-

ic crisis [2]. The single-family housing construction was

also to be popularized by the typication process. Its pur-

pose was primarily to streamline the construction process

and optimize its costs. For this purpose, catalogs of typ-

ical projects and national competitions for cheap, typical

single-family housing were held

. Single-family housing

faced many barriers on the way of implementation. Ac-

cording to the assessment of the Ministry of Municipal

Economy, the most serious were diculties with obtain-

ing construction plots (incomplete Spatial Development

Plans prevented the division of plots), the areas oered for

individual construction were usually without sanitary or

electric installation network and in a much worse location

than those intended for multi-family housing. Other prob-

lems were related to the insucient amount of building

materials allocated by the government. As a result, much

fewer single-family estates and settlements were built

in Poland than originally assumed [2]. Similar problems

with realization of residential buildings appeared in other

socialist countries, for example in Hungary [6].

Within the meaning of the resolution, a single-family house was

a house or an independent part of a semi-detached or detached house

with a total usable area of residential premises not exceeding 110.0 m

Usable area limitations were determined by the bank loans, ordered by

the Minister of Municipal Economy [3].

The rst catalog of typical houses was created in 1957 and

included 17 prepared construction projects. Another catalog, which

was created in June 1958 at the request of the Ministry of Municipal

Economy and the Management of Town Planning and Architecture,

already contained 60 designs of typical houses. Single-family buildings

have been designed taking into account the local habits of the population

and the possibility of using materials and building elements of local

production. An important feature of typical designs was the ease of their

adaptation to local conditions.

Current state of research

Nowadays, the question of residential, single-family

or multi-family housing is usually discussed in connec-

tion with new trends in architecture, original architectural

solutions or development of home and residential common

spaces, as well as in the context of sociological or socio-ur-

ban studies. Studies on the architecture and urban plan-

ning of post-war residential complexes from 1946–1989

are conducted mainly in the context of revitalization and

modernization of buildings. The author observed a signif-

icant disproportion between the number of research works

on the state of preservation of multi-family residential

buildings and the analysis of the residential environment

of such buildings from the years 1946–1989, and the liter-

ature dedicated to the research on the state of preservation

of single-family housing of the socialist period, which is

less signicant. Architecture of the Polish socialism period

in their research is addressed, among others, by Andrzej

Basista [7], who summarizes housing construction and

more, from the communist period. However, he focuses

not only on the past of this building industry, but also ana-

lyzes, based on his research, what future awaits the archi-

tecture of the socialist era in Poland. Agata Gabiś in her

research focuses on the post-war architecture of Wrocław

and presents the history of individual, original buildings

of this period. Her publication is a form of a catalog of

the Wrocław’s architecture from the communist period [8].

Currently, the subject of revitalization and moderniza-

tion of post-war residential complexes is discussed, among

others, by Jan M. Chmielewski and Małgorzata Mirecka in

Warsaw city [9], Andrzej Tokajuk in Białystok city [10],

or Barbara E. Gronostajska, who in her studies focuses on

post-war, multi-family residential complexes in Wrocław

[11]. In a bigger, urban scale, the signicant transforma-

tions from the socialism period in Poland have also been

analyzed [12]. Hanna Zaniewska analyzes the economic

aspects of the modernization of socialist construction in

Poland and Europe [13], [14]. Generally, Polish urban and

rural housing characteristics from the socialism period

have been analyzed [15]. There are not many scientic

papers dedicated strictly to the subject of post-war sin-

gle-family housing in the communist period. Zuzanna Na-

pieralska devoted her doctoral dissertation to single fami-

ly settlements form Wrocław from socialism period [16],

Monika Sroka-Bizoń wrote, in her doctoral thesis, about

single-family settlements from the socialism period in Ka-

towice city [17]. International publications that cover this

scope of research connected with post-socialist house set-

tlements also appear. Interesting research, in the context

of house settlements in post-socialist Tirana, Albany, was

also conducted [18]. The word “transformation”, in the

context of post-socialist urban changes, also appears in

international publications [19].

Methodology

The author has selected four dierent single-family

complexes from the 1960s to 1980s for analysis, located

in three Polish cities: Wrocław, Katowice and Szczecin.

Spontaneous transformation of single family house settlements from 1970–1989 on the examples of Polish cities 39

advantages and disadvantages of the estate and the house,

for example:

a) too high density of buildings in the estate,

b) too far from the desired services,

c) bad communication,

d) bad communication marking (signs, lights),

e) no parking zones,

f) neighborhood,

g) location.

Advantages:

a) attractive location,

b) attractive architecture,

c) urban layout,

d) neighbors,

e) plot size – garden,

f) house volume,

g) common greenery,

h) good communication with the city center and the

workplace,

i) proximity to the desired services.

In total, 38 people from four selected housing com-

plexes were asked to participate in the survey – interview.

Most people refused to participate in the study. Ultimate-

ly, 18 people took part in the survey. The survey was not

completed in the Zgrzebionka Estate, Katowice. The time

of conducting the research was a diculty. Most of the

residents were at work or school at that time.

Analysis of four Polish,

single family house settlements

Budowlani Estate, Wrocław

In 1967 the building cooperative to realize single-fam-

ily houses of Budowlani was established. It was responsi-

ble for the construction of one of the rst post-war com-

plex of single-family housing estates in Poland, and the

rst in Wrocław.

The housing estate is localized in the southern part of

the city, nearby greenery of allotment gardens. The au-

thors of the urban planning and the repetitive design of the

single-family building were architects Witold Molicki and

Ryszard Spławski. Works preparing the ground for the

construction of a new housing estate started in 1968 [20].

The project assumed the construction of 96 semi-detached

buildings located on plots of about 300 m

. In the central

part of the estate’s urban layout two symmetrical squares

were designed, separated by single-family, semi-detached

housing (Fig. 1). There are landmarks in the estate’s space

– the square in the south-western part of the housing estate

functions as a bus square, with a stop and bus terminus

and a small green square. Single-family housing of the

Budowlani Estate [Constructors Estate] includes two-sto-

rey buildings, without basements. Their simple shape is di-

versied by elevation materials and colors. Vertical stripes

of window width, slightly backward in relation to the wall

face, were covered with wooden coverings or painted in

dark brown colors. They were to be distinguished against

a background of a white, plastered elevation. Thanks to

this operation, its geometric division was highlighted and

The buildings of all these housing estates have been trans-

formed in dierent ways: extended, completely modern-

ized or thermo-modernized. The scope of these transfor-

mations and their impact on the current character of the

estate was analyzed.

The author of the work performed an archival query in

the Archives of the Museum of Architecture in Wrocław,

the Archives of the City Hall of Wrocław and the Building

Archives of the City of Wrocław, where project documen-

tation is available for selected single-family complexes.

On its basis, the archival urban plans of the housing estates

and designs of individual buildings were examined. The

catalogs of typical single-family buildings constructed be-

tween 1946 and 1989 were also analyzed. An important

part of the work was the inventory search in the eld. It

included photographic and drawing documentation of the

examined buildings, as well as spatial arrangements of set-

tlements and single-family housing estates. On the basis

of the collected materials, it was possible to analyze and

compare the selected single-family buildings as regards

design assumptions, implementation and later changes.

In order to better understand the issues of present mod-

ernization, the author has conducted a survey – interview

in situ with residents of the analyzed housing complexes.

The questions in the survey were divided into three parts.

The rst part dened the prole of the residents: their age,

sex, education, how long they live in this particular hous-

ing estate and how many members of the family there are.

The next part of the survey concerned the respondents’

housing conditions:

1) house area, number of rooms, plot area. The respon-

dents also answered questions regarding the renovations

that they carried out and the technical condition of the

house, for example:

a) no renovations have been carried out in the last 20

years,

b) minor, ad hoc renovations,

c) thermo-modernization,

d) complete renovation of the building,

e) complete renovation of the building with extension,

f) extension of the rest of the building without reno-

vation.

2) Reasons for renovation (several options can be se-

lected):

a) poor technical condition of the building,

b) visual aspect,

c) insucient usable area of the building (adaptation of

utility rooms to usable rooms),

d) insucient lighting of the rooms,

e) bad functional and communication layout of the

building,

f) changing the function of the building (e.g., to an of-

ce).

The last part of the survey concerned their perception

of the quality of life in the housing estate, neighborly ties,

urban infrastructure and spatial order. The interlocutors

were asked whether they identify with the place they live

in and want to have an inuence on its shape and space

or if they treat their homes as an integral part of a larger

urban layout. Interviewees were also asked to indicate the

40 Zuzanna Napieralska

ing block of the Budowlani Estate complex were consis-

tently rejected by the City Hall. As justication for such

decisions in ocial letters it could be read: The project

of the Budowlani singlefamily housing estate was real

ized according to a homogeneous urbanarchitectural

concept and constitutes a closed spatial composition. The

District Oce consistently observes the principle of not

changing the development, especially as the area of plots

is extremely small. Functional changes inside the building

the cuboidal form of the houses was made more attrac-

tive. The architects proposed two types of buildings which

are part of the analyzed residential complex. It was the

so-called big and small building [20] (Fig. 2). However,

both were based on the same form: a cuboidal block in

a semi-detached building. Thanks to this, the whole com-

plex formed a coherent spatial arrangement. According to

the data contained in the archival documentation, in the

1970s and 1980s, all attempts to interfere with the build-

Fig. 1. Urban Plan of the single-family housing estate of Budowlani, designed by W. Molicki and R. Spławski, 1967 (source: [20])

Il. 1. Projekt zespołu zabudowy jednorodzinnej Budowlani, autorstwa W. Molickiego i R. Spławskiego, 1967 (źródło: [20])

Spontaneous transformation of single family house settlements from 1970–1989 on the examples of Polish cities 41

merous, uncontrolled interference actions with the body of

the building in order to increase its volume. What has the

greatest impact on the so-called spatial order, the character

of original architecture and integrity of the estate are the

uncontrolled extensions of single segments of semi-de-

tached houses, especially superstructures, with a sloping

roof, which have already been carried out in several build-

ings of the Budowlani housing estate (Fig. 4).

• Survey conclusions

Five interlocutors have been interviewed. The average

inhabitant of this estate is retired, aged 65+, with univer-

sity education. The second largest age group are married

without aecting the horizontal and vertical dimensions

of the objects are possible [21].

Unfortunately, after the political transformation (in

1990) and the change of regulations concerning individu-

al construction, such decisions prohibiting interference in

the body of a private building not covered by conservation

protection had no legal justication.

We are currently observing progressive changes within

the above complex. The buildings are deprived of their

original, geometric façade, the windows and colors of the

buildings are changed, and numerous extensions and su-

perstructures of existing houses are made (Fig. 3). Origi-

nal buildings of Budowlani Estate have been subject to nu-

Fig. 2. Single-family house estate

Budowlani, front elevation

project, large semi detached

building (at the top) and small

semi-detached building,

R. Spławski (source: [20])

Il. 2. Osiedle Budowlani, projekt

elewacji frontowej,

budynek duży bliźniak (u góry)

i budynek mały bliźniak (u dołu),

proj. W. Molicki, R. Spławski

(źródło: [20])

Fig. 3. Semi detached house of Budowlani housing estate, designed by

W. Molicki, R. Spławski. An example of thermal modernization (left side),

the original windows design on the facade has been changed.

Stylized window bands were introduced (photo by Z. Napieralska)

Il. 3. Budynek w zabudowie bliźniaczej osiedla Budowlani,

projektu W. Molickiego, R. Spławskiego. Przykład termomodernizacji

budynku (lewa połowa) oraz zmiany w układzie okien.

Dodatkowo wprowadzono stylizowane opaski okienne (fot. Z. Napieralska)

Fig. 4. Budowlani housing estate,

and superstructures over part of the building

(photo by Z. Napieralska)

Il. 4. Osiedle Budowlani projektu W. Molickiego i R. Spławskiego,

przykład rozbudowy i nadbudowy

jednego z segmentów zabudowy bliźniaczej

(fot. Z. Napieralska)

42 Zuzanna Napieralska

couples over 50, with adult children. There are also fam-

ilies with small children, encouraged to live in a hous-

ing estate close to schools and kindergartens. There is no

large rotation of residents in the development complex

(one property was marked for sale). For the majority of

respondents, the Budowlani single-family house complex

is an attractive place to live, mainly due to its location

providing a substitute for a small town. The respondents

agreed about the peace and quiet in the area as well as

good neighborly relations. The respondents (mostly elder-

ly people) indicated negative changes in individual build-

ings. According to them, they do not t the whole estate.

Residents are socially involved. On their initiative, speed

bumps were installed on local roads.

Singlefamily housing complex realized by

house building cooperative Wspólny Dom Estate,

Szczecin, Poland

This terraced house complex, was constructed as part

of the cooperative single-family housing estate of the

1970s. And it is one of many examples of this type of im-

plementation in the period of the Polish People’s Republic

(Polish socialism era).

Favorable legal provisions concerning intensive in-

dividual construction, granting construction loans and

intensive development of cooperative movements have

contributed to a signicant increase in the share of this

construction sector in Poland’s total housing economy

[22]. The analyzed house complex is located in the north-

ern part of Szczecin city, in the Żelechowa estate, and

closes a larger single-family housing complex from the

north, which includes buildings erected both after the po-

litical transformation, during the communist era, as well

as those from the pre-war period.

The residential complex consists of fty-three terraced

housing segments (Fig. 5). The segments are three storeys

tall, with a basement section and a garage, partially under-

ground and two above-ground storeys. A typical project

assumed very economical material solutions and cuboi-

dal forms of buildings. The buildings are covered with

ventilated at roofs. The author of the project, in order to

diversify the simple façade, introduced horizontal stripes

made of vertically arranged wooden boards, which ll the

spaces between the windows (Fig. 6). This type of hous-

ing was implemented in various Polish cities. Currently,

most of the segments have passed thorough moderniza-

tion. Only a few owners have recreated the original eleva-

tion, keeping the colors and materials. Today, the Wspólny

Dom Estate [Our House Estate] in Szczecin is a series of

terraced houses, which is a diverse collage of material and

color solutions. However, we do not observe any uncon-

trolled extensions here (this is basically not possible due

to the type of construction), but only material nuances and

dierent solutions of the entrance zones (Fig. 7). This re-

sults in an interesting eect, where each segment is indi-

vidualized and not a copy of the neighbor’s building.

• Survey conclusions

Seven interlocutors have been interviewed. Most of the

inhabitants of the estate are people over 60 years of age.

Most often, they are the rst residents of this complex

who has built their own houses (cooperative of workplac-

es). The next group are families with adult children. In

the estate, young families with small children are rather

in the minority. Most of the residents of the estate have

lived there for a long time, for over 10 years. According to

the respondents, the positive aspects of the estate include:

peaceful and quiet neighborhood, well ordered urban

space and good neighborly relations. The inhabitants of

Fig. 5. Wspólny Dom detached house settlement in Szczecin, urban layout (source: [23])

Il. 5. Układ urbanistyczny zespołu zabudowy jednorodzinnej Wspólny Dom w Szczecinie (źródło: [23])

Spontaneous transformation of single family house settlements from 1970–1989 on the examples of Polish cities 43

the estate identify themselves with their place of residence

and want to have an inuence on its shape. For most of

them the space of the estate is ordered and harmonious

with each other. However, there is a group of residents

who perceive the chaos in the space of the development

complex and negatively perceive the interference of other

residents with the interference made to the original build-

ing form.

Zgrzebionka Estate, Katowice

The Zgrzebionka Estate is located in Brynów, a dis-

trict adjacent to the center of Katowice. It was realized

in the 1970s. This residential complex is located between

Łabędzi Street, Bocianów Street, Pelikanów Street and

Albatrosów Streets, and consists of low-rise multi-family

buildings and compact row houses. The whole was de-

signed in an architecturally consistent style. The estate

is situated on the slope of a small hill. The spatial con-

guration was adapted to the terrain conditions – roads

run along the contours of the terrain, while groups of res-

idential buildings are located along access roads (Fig. 8).

The use of such a composition arrangement gives the im-

pression of building development, from low single-fam-

ily buildings in the lowest part of the complex to taller

multi-family buildings situated in the highest part of the

estate [17].

A uniform, wooden, low fence or a hedge was designed

throughout the whole complex of single-family housing,

which emphasizes the cohesion and homogeneity of the

settlement. Single-family, terraced houses are designed as

rectangular blocks with large window openings. In the up-

per part, the elevations of the buildings are nished with

boards in a dark tint, and additional vertical strip of boards

creates a division of the elevation and deepens its tecton-

ics. The entire complex is surrounded by high greenery

and recreational areas, which compensates for the small

plot area.

Currently, this architecturally interesting residential

complex has not undergone major transformations. Most

of the buildings still have original elevations. Only in-

dividual buildings have been modernized, but these are

only changes in the color of the elevation, and therefore

Fig. 7. Wspólny Dom detached house settlement in Szczecin city,

the current state of the buildings after modernizations.

Originally designed wooden panels have been changed with different

materials: stone mosaic, brick tiles or justify by different color

(photo by Z. Napieralska)

Il. 7. Zabudowa szeregowa osiedla Wspólny Dom w Szczecinie,

obecny stan zachowania budynków po modernizacji.

Pierwotnie zaprojektowane drewniane okładziny elewacyjne

zostały zastąpione innymi materiałami: mozaika kamienna,

cegła czy tynk w innym kolorze (fot. Z. Napieralska)

changes that can be withdrawn (Fig. 9). No extensions or

superstructures of individual segments were observed.

• Survey conclusions

Lack of information.

The colony of patio houses Youth Estate,

Oporów, Wrocław

The project of a colony of patio houses called Youth

Estate was the result of work on a cheap and function-

al single-family house, initiated by the Polish Architects

Association competition in 1972. The competition project

was not completed, however, on its basis, a single-family

complex was built in Oporów estate in southern part of

Wrocław city, and was commissioned by the Youth Coop-

erative Construction Assistance Association. Its author is

architect Leszek Konarzewski.

Fig. 6. Wspólny Dom

detached house settlement

in Szczecin. The front elevation

project reconstruction

(elaborated by Z. Napieralska)

Il. 6. Zabudowa szeregowa

osiedla Wspólny Dom

w Szczecinie. Rekonstrukcja

projektu elewacji frontowej

(oprac. Z. Napieralska)

44 Zuzanna Napieralska

The residential colony was designed on a plot of 5.73 ha

in total and consists of 91 single-family buildings with

a carpeted area for about 480 inhabitants. Residential seg-

ments are designed on plots of land with an area of 280.0 m

stage of the investment) to 350.0 m

stage). In the

central part of the urban plan there is the primary school

area, which separates the northern and southern parts of the

colony.

The spatial layout of the Youth Estate is based on a re-

petitive module: an access road ending with a square and

residential buildings concentrated around it. The architect

designed seven such modules in the southern part and six

in the northern part (Fig. 10). The squares at the end of

each access road have a utility yard, parking places and

areas with common greenery and concentrate around six

to eight residential segments (Fig. 11). According to the

Fig. 8. Zgrzebionka Estate, Katowice city. Urban layout of house complex (source: [24])

Il. 8. Układ urbanistyczny osiedla mieszkaniowego Zgrzebionka w Katowicach (źródło: [24])

Fig. 9. Zgrzebionka Estate, Katowice city. Current state of the buildings at Kormoranów Street.

Typical project Stolbud Namysłów, designed by Politechnika Wrocławska Design Studio (photo by Z. Napieralska)

Il. 9. Osiedle mieszkaniowe Zgrzebionka, Katowice. Obecny stan zachowania budynków mieszkalnych przy ul. Kormoranów.

Projekt typowy Stolbud Namysłów, wykonany przez ZSP Politechniki Wrocławskiej (fot. Z. Napieralska)

Spontaneous transformation of single family house settlements from 1970–1989 on the examples of Polish cities 45

designer’s intentions, the common yards were meant to

foster the integration of investors during buildings con-

struction or management of materials and equipment [25].

The repetitive building segment was designed on the

principle of half-oor: the day part on the ground oor

(level 0.00), the night part on the mezzanine (level +1.20 m)

and the utility part with a garage below the night part is lo-

cated in the eld. The residential segments were designed

in left and right versions. The aim of the project was to

provide full freedom in shaping the interiors of both parts

of the house and adapting them to the individual needs of

the family during construction.

In the 1990s, the author of the design for the entire sin-

gle-family housing complex, architect L. Konarzewski,

presented a concept of superstructure of the existing seg-

ments, so that there would be no uncontrolled interference

with the original body of the buildings. The extension

project was preceded by an analysis of the shading and the

impact of the planned changes on the spatial form of the

entire complex [26]. The superstructure of the lower part

of the segment was possible for the majority of houses,

except for some extreme buildings. Any additional cuba-

ture in this part of the colony would shade the atrium of

the neighbor.

An important design assumption was to unify and clari-

fy the architectural features of the designed superstructure.

The author of the project proposed that the shape of the

superstructure should be visually separated from the brick

volume of the house. The solution was a light wooden or

wooden-steel attic in dark brown colors (Fig. 12). Access

to the attic was possible in three variants: 1) by continuing

the existing staircase, 2) by placing the stairs in place of

the existing cell at the entrance, 3) by making an external

openwork staircase when the apartment was to be com-

pletely independent. Designed by the architect, the super-

structure was realized over a part of the houses (Fig. 13).

• Survey conclusions

Six interlocutors have been interviewed. The estate is

inhabited mainly by families with adult children (most

houses are two-generation houses) with higher educa-

tion. A relatively large group is also made up of families

with young children (in preschool or primary school age).

They live in three-generation houses (superstructure to

the existing building, independent apartment with an ex-

ternal staircase). Residents speak very positively about

the estate. They appreciate the original urban layout, that

provides them with silence, intimacy and a sense of se-

curity. They treat the inner squares, situated at the end of

Fig. 10. Land development plan of The colony of patio houses Youth Estate, designed by L. Konarzewski, Wrocław, 1974 (source: [25])

Il. 10. Projekt zagospodarowania terenu kolonii domów w zabudowie atrialnej Osiedla Młodych we Wrocławiu

projektu L. Konarzewskiego, 1974 (źródło: [25])

Fig. 11. The colony of patio houses Youth Estate,

The square at the end of each access road is an utility yard,

parking place and area with common greenery. It concentrates around

six to eight residential segments (photo by Z. Napieralska)

Il. 11. Kolonia domów w zabudowie atrialnej Osiedle Młodych

we Wrocławiu projektu L. Konarzewskiego.

Na końcu każdego sięgacza drogi wewnętrznej w osiedlu

zlokalizowany jest plac, pełniący funkcję parkingu, wspólnej zieleni,

wydzielonej części ze śmietnikami (fot. Z. Napieralska)

46 Zuzanna Napieralska

the access road, as their private space that they care about

and identify with. It favors the neighborly relations as

well as neighborly observations, where every intruder or

stranger will be noticed and in sight for the inhabitants.

Wickets, fences or garage gates are often opened, the res-

idents feel safe.

Discussion

In reference to the research question, the possibility of

preserving this, already historical, housing, while at the

same time raising its standard and adapting it to current

requirements and standards, an attempt to control all types

of extensions of residential segments is a rare solution but

has appeared in some house complexes from the socialism

period. An example of this design practice is the unied

superstructure project at Youth Estate in Wrocław, de-

signed by L. Konarzewski. A similar design process, con-

sisting in creating a repetitive superstructure design for

the whole complex, was also realized for another, small

single-family housing complex in Wrocław. It is a ter-

raced house, designed by Jerzy Wojnarowicz in 1964, lo-

cated at Grabiszyn estate in Wrocław. The superstructure

was designed few years later by Eng. Jerzy Jagodziński,

in 1980 and was supported by technical analysis of the

building. According to the project of the superstructure,

the load-bearing walls were to be made of as light a ma-

terial as possible (e.g., aerated concrete). The existing at

roof could not be used as a ceiling structure due to its low

lifting capacity and slant. The functional layout for each

of the three segments was slightly modied. The designed

staircase in two segments was located on the garden side,

in the middle segment on the front elevation [27]. The

superstructure was completed, but probably due to mate-

rial deciencies and construction costs it was simplied.

Wooden sidings were abandoned and typical window

frames were used (Fig. 14).

In both cases (Youth Estate and terraced house from

Grabiszyn in Wrocław), the house complex was treated as

a coherent whole. There are certainly many more exam-

ples of such activities in Poland, but already on the basis

of these two projects and their subsequent implementa-

tion, it can be concluded that it is possible to modernize

and make extensions to the existing single-family build-

ings from the 1950s and 1980s, in order to preserve the

cohesive space of the estate, simultaneously raising the

standard of construction of the Polish People’s Republic

to current technical conditions and housing needs. How-

ever, this requires the involvement of residents who will

accept the unied extension or superstructure module,

dedicated to particular buildings from the specic house

complex.

Fig. 12. The colony of patio houses Youth Estate, Wrocław.

Unified superstructure project over the existing buildings by L. Konarzewski, 1990 (source: [26])

Il. 12. Kolonia domów w zabudowie atrialnej Osiedla Młodych we Wrocławiu.

Projekt nadbudowy segmentów zabudowy atrialnej autorstwa L. Konarzewskiego, 1990 (źródło: [26])

Fig. 13. The colony of patio houses Youth Estate,

The superstructure realizations (photo by Z. Napieralska)

Il. 13. Kolonia domów w zabudowie atrialnej Osiedla Młodych

we Wrocławiu projektu L. Konarzewskiego.

Przykład realizacji projektu nadbudowy (fot. Z. Napieralska)

Spontaneous transformation of single family house settlements from 1970–1989 on the examples of Polish cities 47

Conclusion

Transformations of individual buildings, which are part

of the housing development of the examined single-fami-

ly complexes, are a frequent phenomenon. The change of

the political system after 1989 inuenced the legal chang-

es in the area of single-family housing – among other

things primary limitations of usable space were no longer

in force.

We can distinguish several basic forms of building

transformations, observed in the analyzed housing com-

plexes, and which also took place in other similar housing

settlements of the Polish Socialism period [16]:

1. Thermo-modernization – the basic and most com-

mon form of modernization, aimed at improving house

energy eciency, aesthetics or state of preservation. The

analyzed buildings were erected in accordance with so-

cialism standards of thermal protection of buildings,

which have expired. This is why buildings from this era

need to be insulated and modernized. Thermo-moderniza-

tion is usually associated with a change in the color of

the elevations and their material solutions, which can be

observed in the analyzed house complexes.

2. Replacing windows and doors – this is a frequent

measure to reduce the energy consumption of a house

[28]. Currently, original wooden windows are being re-

placed with plastic ones, which are cheaper and require no

maintenance. In the analyzed examples, we observe the

replacement of the woodwork, associated with a change

in the layout and size of windows or doors. This interferes

with the overall image of the front elevation, especially

in semi-detached or terraced houses, which are no longer

symmetrical and repeatable. Fortunately, this is not a com-

mon procedure.

3. Building extension or superstructure – aimed at in-

creasing the usable area of the house, but also turning vi-

sually a cubed form house into a traditional form house

with a sloping roof (Budowlani Estate, Wrocław).

The analysis of the house complexes show that semi-

detached buildings or single-family buildings are the most

susceptible to extension. This type of housing enables va-

rious types of extensions of the existing shape of the house.

In terraced or atrial housing, the range of such acti vities

is much more limited. However, here too, small changes

to the original design are introduced successively, and the

fact that most of the segments are subjected to them makes

the whole building undergo visual change. Finally, it has

an impact on the spatial settlement structure and landscape

aesthetics, both in the city space and also in the rural areas,

where similar transformations appear [29]. However, as

the examples of house complexes Youth Estate in Wrocław

and terraced house from Grabiszyn in Wrocław show, it

is possible to modernize and design house extensions in

a controlled and coordinated manner by an architect for the

entire settlement.

Translated by

YELLOW Centrum Języków Obcych

Fig. 14. The superstructure project of a terraced building at Heblarska Street, Grabiszyn, Wrocław,

Il. 14. Projekt nadbudowy segmentu zabudowy szeregowej przy ul. Heblarskiej w osiedlu Grabiszyn we Wrocławiu,

proj. J. Jagodzińskiego, 1980 (źródło: [27])

48 Zuzanna Napieralska

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Abstract

Spontaneous transformation of single family house settlements from 1970–1989 on the examples of Polish cities

The article presents a problem related to uncontrolled and spontaneous transformation of the landscape of single-family house complexes from

the period of Polish Socialism. Analyzed transformations are the consequences of the need for house condition improvement, by thermo-modernizing

them, building extensions or window frame replacement. These instances of building interference are unavoidable, due to poor house conditions.

Currently there are no regulations and criteria describing the correct and eective modernization of single-family buildings in the context of the whole

house settlement. Due to uncontrolled renovation of particular houses, chaos enters the unied and transparent layout of house complex. The article

presents the current condition of several single-family housing estates from the years 1970–1989. The author intends to nd an answer to the follow-

ing question: is it possible to modernize and extend individual buildings belonging to one coherent housing estate, maintaining its integral character

and spatial harmony?

Key words: single-family house complexes, residential complex, modernization, socialist architecture, residential common space

Spontaneous transformation of single family house settlements from 1970–1989 on the examples of Polish cities 49

Streszczenie

Spontaniczna transformacja zespołów zabudowy jednorodzinnej lat 1970–1989 na przykładzie polskich miast

Tematem artykułu jest proces niekontrolowanych i spontanicznych przemian, jakie zachodzą w zespołach domów jednorodzinnych z okresu

polskiego socjalizmu. Analizowane przekształcenia są konsekwencją konieczności dostosowania budynków do aktualnych wymogów i poprawy ich

standardu poprzez termomodernizację, rozbudowę czy wymianę stolarki okiennej. Te ingerencje budowlane są nieuniknione ze względu na pogar-

szający się stan techniczny analizowanych budynków. Obecnie brakuje przepisów i kryteriów opisujących prawidłową i efektywną modernizację

takich budynków, także w kontekście całego zespołu mieszkaniowego. W wyniku niekontrolowanej renowacji poszczególnych domów, w jednolity

i przejrzysty układ zespołu domów wkracza chaos. W artykule przedstawiono aktualny stan zachowania kilku zespołów zabudowy jednorodzinnej

z lat 1970–1989 z Wrocławia, Katowic i Szczecina. Celem autorki jest również znalezienie odpowiedzi, czy możliwa jest modernizacja i rozbudowa

poszczególnych budynków należących do jednego spójnego osiedla przy zachowaniu jego integralnego charakteru i harmonii przestrzennej.

Key words: zabudowa jednorodzinna, osiedle mieszkaniowe, modernizacja, architektura socjalizmu, osiedlowa przestrzeń wspólna