With over 20 years’ experience, a team of qualified specialists and a passion for the finest modernist ideas, STUDIO KONDE is an architectural firm led by a Poznań-based architect, designing bespoke homes, multi-family buildings and commercial properties. This design studio, founded in 2004 by Konrad Idaszewski, an architect and graduate of the Faculty of Architecture and Urban Planning at Poznań University of Technology, has today a portfolio of many acclaimed and award-winning projects to its name. What sets STUDIO KONDE’s work and projects apart? The studio’s founder will be answering this and other questions today.
Extensive experience and unwavering creativity
STUDIO KONDE is a design studio that helps shape the architectural landscape of contemporary Greater Poland. The firm’s portfolio includes large-scale development projects, notably the ‘Słoneczne Osiedle’ [‘Sunny Estate’] multi-family housing complex in Ostrów Wielkopolski, the Panorama Park II housing estate in Kalisz along with its accompanying retail and service centre, and the refurbished Tonsil office building in Września. Among the extraordinary projects by STUDIO KONDE, which have become a permanent feature of the local landscape, is also the building of the Church of blessed Jerzy Popiełuszko in Plewiska.
For years, the studio has also been designing modern detached houses and mansions. This area is also home to a number of projects that defy convention – one example worth mentioning is the luxury house with a swimming pool, combined with a private dental clinic in Zagórów. The studio’s innovative approach is undoubtedly influenced by the fact that its founder – architect Konrad Idaszewski – strives to keep abreast of global developments, leading studios and award-winning projects.
What values and outlook guide your design work? What are your priorities in creating buildings?
For me, the primary starting point in the design process is the context of the site – its spatial and landscape conditions, and its relationship with the existing buildings. In the formal layer, I employ modest means of expression – I am drawn to minimalism and the ideas of modernism, understood as clarity of composition, structural logic and material integrity. I pay great attention to detail and proportion, treating them as integral parts of the whole. Function is equally important to me – I design buildings in a thoughtful and precise manner, responding to the real needs of users.
Do you have a favourite design style? If so, what kind?
Modernism, the Bauhaus tradition. I am inspired by the work of architects ranging from Mies van der Rohe to Paulo Mendes da Rocha. These works form the basis of my approach to design, which is rooted in simplicity, functionality and a conscious use of detail.
What materials and technologies do you most like to use in your projects?
In my work, I use natural materials such as architectural concrete, raw steel (steel sheets, expanded metal, perforated steel and profiled steel) and quartz sintered materials. I utilise contemporary technologies that systematically conceal installation elements and create architecture through clean, uncluttered volumes/forms/structures. I also value a sculptural approach to forms.
What are your experiences of working with clients? What do you think is the key to a successful collaboration?
The key to success is finding a common language and a sense of ‘flow’ right from the start of the collaboration. It is essential to define boundaries which, after the architect has listened to the client’s expectations, give them the space to design, allow them to realise their potential and give free rein to their creativity. The result is a conflict-free project and investment process.
Can you tell us about the most interesting project you have worked on?
The most interesting project, currently underway in terms of interior design, is the parish church in Plewiska. Initially, the church complex consisted of a chapel and a rectory. As the parish grew and the needs of the local community increased, the complex was extended to include the main church building. Currently, this structure constitutes the main volume both within the parish complex and the surrounding residential area. The building is inspired by historical architecture and modernist design elements – all presented in a contemporary style. Inside, an exposed reinforced concrete structure of columns and buttresses has been used, which run beneath the ceiling into beams supporting the roof. Externally, the building takes on an ascetic, unobtrusive form, maintaining the appropriate scale in relation to the neighbouring buildings.
Do you offer a consultation service?
Yes, we offer consultancy services – primarily in relation to project preparation. These cover both the stage prior to purchasing a plot of land and the analysis of a site that has already been selected, assessing its development potential, absorption capacity, lighting conditions, and the impact of existing and planned developments on shading.
