House In The Slope / 77 Studio

Architects: 77 Studio
Area: 450 m²
Year: 2019
Photography: Piotr Krajewski
Location: Płock, Masovian Voivodeship
Country: Poland

House in the Slope, designed by 77 Studio in Mazowsze, Poland, is a single-family residence integrated into the contours of an escarpment above the Vistula River. Created between 2018 and 2019 and implemented from 2019, the project leverages the site’s panoramic potential, framing oblique views of the bridge, Old Town, industrial skyline, and the sandbank-lined river. Lowering the floor level into the slope minimizes its presence while preserving surrounding sightlines. Entry is through a corten steel–lined driveway cut into the meadow, leading to a recessed patio that conceals the view until arrival. A green roof planted with native species contains a jacuzzi and terrace at the most prominent vantage point. Interiors maintain an uninterrupted visual connection to the river through expansive glazing in living and bedroom areas. Sustainable design strategies include renewable energy systems, passive shading, and building automation, enabling the home to merge with the meadow landscape while limiting environmental impact.

House in the Slope by 77 Studio occupies a wild meadow at the edge of an escarpment, only a short distance from the firm’s earlier House on the Scarp. The two sites differ in how they reveal the Vistula. While the earlier project faced the river directly, this location offered more engaging oblique perspectives that revealed the full profile of the escarpment. From the ridge, the Old Town’s skyline rises over wild slopes and sandbanks, framed by the bridge and the industrial horizon. The meadow’s gradual rise hides these views until the final approach, heightening the visual impact upon arrival.

The architects placed the house near the ridge edge and embedded it into the slope to connect it with the natural terrain while preserving the meadow’s visual continuity. This approach avoided creating a form that would compete with the large traditional neighboring house. A corten steel–lined cut in the meadow forms the driveway and leads to a recessed patio entry below grade. Crossing this threshold reveals the framed panorama of the escarpment, Old Town, and river, creating an immediate and dramatic connection to the surroundings.

From the riverside, only a slim horizontal cornice is visible, with most of the structure concealed within the slope. The green roof, planted with native species, integrates the building into the landscape and offers a relaxation terrace with a jacuzzi positioned at the most scenic point. Square patios set into the slope bring daylight and vegetation into the interior while maintaining privacy. Wild shrubs outline the property boundaries, replacing conventional fencing and preserving the natural setting.

The corten steel cladding unifies the exterior, with thick plates and concealed garage doors reinforcing the structure’s grounded appearance. The single-story plan of 450 square meters places the living room on the southeast side, opening to a terrace through a twelve-meter-wide sliding glass wall. The master bedroom shares this orientation, while two additional bedrooms occupy the southwest wing. The kitchen and dining area sit in the sunniest southern corner, with panoramic glazing ensuring a constant visual connection to the Vistula from multiple points inside the house.

Environmental performance is supported by renewable energy systems, passive measures such as overhangs and sun breakers, and building automation that reduces reliance on mechanical cooling. The result is a residence that integrates contemporary architecture with the preserved character of the Vistula’s riverside landscape while maintaining a discreet presence within its natural surroundings.