House of digital nomads in Kórnik. Master Thesis

HOUSE OF DIGITAL NOMADS IN KÓRNIK CITY

IDENTITY OF SMALL TOWNS IN WIELKOPOLSKA IN THE CONTEXT OF REMOTE WORK

Master’s thesis Author: mgr inż. arch. Gosia Andrzejewska Supervisor: dr hab. inż. arch. Radosław Barek, prof. PP Faculty of Architecture, Poznań University of Technology August 2023

As a resident of the Kórnik municipality, I have decided to take up the challenge of the future of small towns in our region. Nowadays, when technological development and globalisation are revolutionising our lives and work, small towns in Wielkopolska face serious challenges. The thesis ‘Home of the Digital Nomads1 in Kórnik’ is my look at the potential of our local community in the era of ‘home-office’.

This project focuses on exploring the potential of small towns in Wielkopolska in light of the growing popularity of remote working. It is also tasked with addressing the challenges of identity crisis and globalisation. In practice, the work analyses the identity of small towns while trying to attract digital nomads and other remote workers. The urban-architectural concept is based on innovative development strategies, combining a modern approach to remote working with the unique Genius Loci of the city of Kórnik. The residential buildings, office building and meeting spaces designed as part of this project seek to reflect the adaptation and reinterpretation of local heritage, adapting to contemporary needs.

Kórnik, as an example in a network of small towns, is a place where tradition, modernity and sustainability work together, strengthening the cooperation of the inhabitants. The project aims to strengthen the local community and attract a new wave of digital nomads, offering them attractive living and working conditions.

1 Digital nomadism is a lifestyle in which people who work remotely enable themselves to change locations frequently by combining work and travel.

Nomads often choose new places, exploring different cultures and drawing inspiration from diverse backgrounds.

NETWORK OF SMALL TOWNS IN WIELKOPOLSKA REGION In the project, I took on the challenge of creating an initiative, the Wielkopolska Small Towns Network. The idea is to bring together a number of picturesque towns in the region seeking to work together to develop and attract remote workers. Driven by the conviction that sharing resources and joint promotion will create attractive places to live, I set out to ensure that each town could retain its unique cultural identity.

The project proposes a network made up of several towns with a similar history and location. Tourist aspects such as proximity to nature, history and cultural heritage as well as transport issues contributed to the choice of towns. Kórnik, Pyzdry, Śmigiel, Rakoniewice, Rydzyna, Koźmin Wielkopolski and Sieraków are picturesque towns with strong development potential. In order to make this potential visible, it is necessary to focus on finding existing attractors for the new community and to complement them with the infrastructure needed for remote working.

The project required a focus on specific towns, and Kórnik became an example on which I concentrated particular attention, in order to deepen the project in an architectural context.

In my approach, it became crucial to find the so-called Genius Loci, i.e. the spirit of the place and its cultural identity. To find it, I embarked on an in-depth analysis not only of Kórnik itself, but also attempted to gain a broader understanding of the distinctive architecture of the region.

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CITY OF KÓRNIK The urban concept presented in the project is based on the organic connection of three key locations in Kórnik. The Powstańców Wielkopolskich Square transformed into a historic Market Place with the Bakehouse (1) takes on the role of a heart of social interaction, Pocztowa Street regains its identity through the restoration of historical elements of a demolished residential building (2), and Browarowy Square evolves into a dynamic office, service and residential centre (3).

This holistic division of space weaves itself into a coherent fabric of living and working, not only creating new spatial forms, but also reinforcing existing structures and preserving the authentic character of the city.

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BAKEHOUSE, MARKET PLACE Traditionally, the most important meeting point in the towns czki was the Market Place. The emerging regular fairs were the moment which dynamised the social life and promoted integration between the local community and the arriving traders. Maps from the beginning of the 20th century indicate that in Kórnik the Market was not only held in the main market square of the town, but in the square designated for this purpose (today the Powstańców Wielkopolskich Square). The project involves restoring the space to its former dynamism by returning to its former market function supplemented by a new meeting place - the bake house.

Bakehouses (communal ovens) were a widespread feature in rural areas in Europe. The buildings provided a public place where the rural community could bake especially bread, but also cakes. Ovens were also used for the production of cured meats and vodka. The bakeries were not only a functional tool.

Due to the saving of fuel and energy, baking took place on regular days, an important date for village integration. On the one hand, knowledge was exchanged in anticipation of bread, and on the other hand, craft skills were passed on to the next generation.

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Bake houses are mainly associated with the rural community.

The project presents a suggestion of how the social potential of a building with this function can be brought to the community of Kórnik. However, the different rural and urban contexts require different approaches. Whereas in the countryside there were fixed user groups with defined needs, in the city, the bakery should be adapted to a more diverse, often changing society with potentially peripheral expectations. The bake house is intended to serve not only to make the community more independent, but also to create a new public space to support integration.

The location of the bake house in the southern part of Powstańców Wielkopolskich Square, aligned with the historic Old Post Office building, restores the historical significance of the square as a Market Place. The concept rebuilds this function by developing the space between the two buildings, which become the axes of new social life. The most important element of the form is the expressive chimney, which is the new dominant feature of the Market Place. Its height, 14 metres, stands out above the buildings, giving the site a new formal significance.

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The ceramic finish of the building and chimney gives it a narrative of the sacred and mysticism. The brick red and the sheen of the ceramics are reminiscent of a baking fire, symbolising the coming together of people around a common fire.

The flame effect is particularly evident on the rear façade of the building, where the sliding in and out of individual bricks creates a play of light and shadow.

The design leaves space for flexibility and functionality in the building. The ground floor contains traditional bread ovens, one of which is accessible from the interior, creating a multifunctional kitchen-preparation area, and the other from the arcade, allowing the bakery to be used without entering the building. In addition, there is a multifunctional common room space in the attic and a sanitary and storage area in the basement.

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CO-HOUSING, POCZTOWA STREET The most important, of the projected functions, is the place of residence. Digital nomads are a social group that often travels alone with the idea of meeting new people in the places they visit. This is an aspect that strongly influences the places of residence they choose to create new contacts. Adding to this aspect of the temporary nature of their stay, hostels and shared flats, operating on a co-housing basis, are their most common points of choice. Co-housing is the practice of living with other people in a group for flats that include shared amenities and communal areas such as kitchens and communal facilities.

I chose the space on the corner of Pocztowa Street and Wojska Polskiego Street in Kórnik as the location for the building.

Until 2002, a characteristic residential house stood on the plot. The first information about the building can already be found in the inventory of buildings from the 18th century making it one of the oldest in Kórnik. The house was built in a timber-frame construction, most probably of summertime timber-frame, enriched with a framed façade, i.e. a dormer supported on pillars, slightly overhanging the building line.

The building was oriented with its ridge to Pocztowa Street with the entrance to the plot located from Wojska Polskiego Street. There was also a smaller building at the rear of the plot, most probably with an economic function.

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The premise of the project was not to restore history, but to preserve its character. The residential house restores the proportions and architectural elements of the former building while adapting to its contemporary function. The composition of the façade became an important issue in the project.

The front elevation restores the idea of a column-supported ‘façade’, accentuating the main entrance to the building. The loggia, created by playing with the historic form, hides the entrance on the ground floor and illuminates the living room on the ground floor, providing a natural extension. On the rear side, the façade rises by one storey, increasing the functionality of the attic. The resulting asymmetry is accentuated by the materials used. While the rear and side façades are covered with clay plaster, the front façade continues the shingled roof by lowering it to the line of Pocztowa Street.

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The interior of the house provides a balanced mix of privacy and community. The fully functional co-housing consists of six bedrooms with individual bathrooms, creating a comfortable private space for residents. Shared areas: the kitchen, dining room and living room, provide a place to meet and socialise. An ancillary building adds to the functionality of the location by housing a laundry room, a waste storage area and a bicycle room.

A small courtyard extends deep into the plot, a green area conducive to tranquillity and relaxation. A green wall, climbing over the neighbour’s wall, creates a distinct and welcoming atmosphere, encouraging regeneration. Vegetation climbing the surface creates a subtle, natural partition that not only improves the microclimate and aesthetics of the space, but also encourages closer interaction with nature.

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CO-WORKING, BROWAROWY SQUARE The final design element is the office building. People who work remotely are usually looking for shared workspaces. Socalled co-working provides the opportunity to work individually or together in a rented space. The advantages of this type of office are lower rental costs and a variety of workplaces. In co-working offices, employees do not usually have a single, assigned workspace, having a choice of different types of workspace from ‘traditional’ offices to shared spaces, conference rooms and breakout areas.

The building is located on Kórnickie Lake. As an urban issue, the office building complements the historic Browarowy Square, defined by Harcerska Street. The building forms a new urban wall enclosing the square on the lake side. In this way, two spaces are distinguished - the Browarowy Square in the interior of the quarter and the recreational area on the lake side.

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The urban planning analysis led to the idea of creating a second building in the premise. The residential tower restores the volume of the windmill-kiln, a structure with deep historical roots in the region. The building not only accentuates the cultural heritage, but also fits into the context of a place in need of a formal dominant. The timber-framed building houses four small flats with a view of the nature surrounding Kórnik.

On the functional side, the office building has been designed to allow maximum flexibility of space. In the middle of the plan is a compact communication and sanitary block, complemented by intimate conference rooms and a storage room. On either side of it, open-space office spaces have been located.

The office furnishings provide a wide variety of workspaces for groups of employees with potentially different needs. A flexible exhibition space has been located on the ground floor to accommodate open events and lectures.

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The office building has two distinctive sides that reflect its spaces highlighted by the facades. The façades were designed in timber construction, with a regular rhythm reflecting the structural axes of the building. At the front, the voids between the columns were filled in through a system of movable louvres. The use of wicker as infill not only creates a unique appearance, but also corrects the access of light, providing optimal working and comfort conditions. On the Browarowy Square side, the open gallery refers to tradition. The arcade suggested in this way encourages social interaction. The gallery is not only an additional communication space, but also an extension of the office spaces. Users thus gain the opportunity to work outside while maintaining the intimate nature of working in the office.

The façade of the residential tower is intended to emphasise its verticality by contrasting with the horizontal form of the office building. In addition, the green colour scheme is intended to distinguish the building from the surrounding ceramic roofs, while at the same time forming a unity with the natural and recreational character of this part of the city.

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ABOUT ME My name is Gosia Andrzejewska and I am a recent graduate of the Faculty of Architecture at Poznań University of Technology. During my studies, I had the opportunity to broaden my horizons at universities in Stuttgart and Karlsruhe and during an internship in Dresden.

In architecture, I am most interested in its broader impact on the local community, the neighbourhood and the city as a whole. I like to design in an urban context. Being aware of changing climate conditions, I am increasingly interested in sustainability and climate-responsible design.

Master’s thesis “House of digital nomads in Kórnik. Identity of small towns in Wielkopolska in the context of remote work’, of which I am the author, was carried out at the Faculty of Architecture, Poznan University of Technology. The thesis was supervised by prof. dr hab. inż. arch. Radosław Barek.

The thesis received a highest grade with distinction. It also won first prize in the faculty vote for the best thesis of the academic year 2022/2023.

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mgr inż. arch. Gosia Andrzejewska