KWK Promes embeds its Yaw House into a mountainside
In the south PolandThe Beskid Mountains, KWK promissory note completes the Yaw House, a grass-covered residence it is directly shaped by the inclination of its position. Instead of leveling the ground or placing a fixed object on the hillside, architects insert the building within the plot itself. The project takes its name from the aviation term ‘yaw’, which describes rotation around a vertical axis, and this single movement defines the entire layout of the house.
The house begins with an intimate gabled silhouette placed parallel to neighboring structures, maintaining continuity with the local architectural language. From there, the volume rotates towards the southern light and views of the valley, creating a subtle shift that reorganizes the interior spaces and their views outwards.
images © Jakub Sertowicz
a rotating form organizes the interior
At the front of the house, the architects KWK Promes houses the entrance and service areas, including areas dedicated to the customers’ love of cars, especially off-road vehicles. Towards the garden side, the architecture opens wide.
The ground floor extends to a glazed living area with views of greenery and sunlight, while the upper level includes bedrooms located above the common areas below. The change in orientation creates a natural separation between public and private zones without relying on rigid boundaries or excessive compartmentalization.
This rotation also affects the relationship between the roof and the ground. Portions of the structure appear partially absorbed into the hillside, while portions of the roofline extend outward and visually merge with the surrounding terrain. In some ways, the house seems to lower itself into the space rather than sit on it. The architecture maintains a strong geometric identity, although the terrain constantly interrupts and reshapes the way it is perceived.
the sloping site shapes the layout of the house
an underground pool becomes the center of the house
Partway through construction, the project took an unexpected turn when one of the residents required intensive rehabilitation. The clients decided to incorporate a swimming pool into the house while construction was already underway. Integrating such a significant new component into an active construction site presented a significant technical challenge, especially in an array that was already calibrated on the ground.
Rather than treating the addition as an appendage or secondary feature, KWK Promes folded the pool directly into the lineup. Centrally placed within the house and designed around a circular volume, it now functions as the spatial and emotional center of the residence. The geometry contrasts with the angular rooflines and linear circulation paths that surround it, introducing a softer presence to the otherwise directional design.
an underground pool is located in the center of the house
landscaping shaped by location
The surrounding landscape was approached with the same sensitivity to the terrain and local conditions. In several recent projects, KWK Promes has incorporated wild grassland planting that allows vegetation to grow densely around the architecture. For the Yaw House, however, the strategy changed in response to the presence of snakes living in the area. At the request of the clients, the greenery around the building was intentionally kept smaller for safety reasons.
This adaptation reflects the wider attitude behind the project. Yaw House avoids imposing a singular visual statement on the mountainous landscape. Instead, architecture constantly responds to practical realities such as slope, sunlight, movement, restoration and ecology. Even landscaping evolves through direct negotiation with the environment around it.
the gabled volume echoes the silhouettes of the surrounding houses
parts of the roof merge into the surrounding slope
