The planned investment scheme includes three areas (sports, recreational and residential) located in the center of Stodoły – the smallest of Rybnik’s districts. The site is just below the dam of the Rybnik water reservoir, on the edge of a vast forest complex stretching from Rudy Raciborskie up to Kędzierzyn Koźle.
The sports and recreation center is to be built in the place of a former horse farm. On the plot, there is a historic post-Cistercian manor house from the 18th century, along with farm buildings, and an abandoned hall of a riding school and stables built later. The stud also owned an approximately 200 m open riding hall, where the location of the housing estate is planned. There are two sailing centers on both sides of the reservoir within a few hundred meters of the planned investment. Both plots are bordered by the Ruda river.
A kayak center lying on the opposite bank of the river at the north-eastern corner of the sports and recreation area is the starting point for rafting on one of the most mesmerizing canoe routes in Poland. The bicycle route running through Stodoły starts in front of the Minor Basilica in the city center. It runs along the Ruda river and the banks of the Rybnik Lake up to the network of paths stretching across the Landscape Park. In the near future, it is planned to extend the line of the historic narrow-gauge railway from Rudy Raciborskie to the station in the area of the planned sports center.
The proposed concept meets the needs of the modern “active man“, combining the advantages of living outside the city, attractive green areas, in the immediate vicinity of a lake, river, vast forest areas and a rich outdoor & indoor sports opportunity with an apartment in a multi-family building, where the administrator is obliged to care for the environment and technical condition of
the building. A larger population center also guarantees the cost-effectiveness ofbasic services.
The housing estate consists of three rectangular quarters built of solids kept in the scale of nearby single-family housing. Every of 200 flats has an independent, intimate mini-garden, the maintenance of which does not require significant work. The green interiors of the quarters are used by neighborhood groups and operated by the housing estate administration. This zone is completely safe for children because it is impossible to stay unauthorized.
The gardens are connected with each other by bridges over generally accessible pedestrian routes. The private gardens of the apartments have been elevated on platforms that prevent accidental intrusion into them and an insight into the interior of the
apartments.
The liveable area on the ground floor are one-story, and on the first floor, two-story, two in each of the single-family houses kept on a scale. Between the roofed, asymmetrical, slanted roof, large terrace-gardens have been designed, accessible directly from the apartments on the upper floors. At the intersection of pedestrian routes between the quarters a square was created, where the following basic services are located: a shop, a restaurant, a mini kindergarten, a club, a hairdresser, etc. and the administration of the estate.
The neighborly unit, which in this way was created, on the one hand, has the features of a self-sufficient independent structure, on the other, by adapting the scale and openness of public spaces it blends into the character of the district and is an interesting offer for all its residents.
The gradation of space from fully public, semi-private (shared by residents of the housing estate) to fully private favors building social relations inside the estate and throughout the district. The apartments have been designed to a relatively high standard. In addition to a small garden on the ground or on the terrace, each occupies a storage room, an average of 1.5 parking spaces in the parking lot under the inner courtyard and one parking space on the other side of Cisowa street. The area of most premises varies between 65 and 80 m2(3 to 4 rooms plus kitchen and bathroom). There are also flats bigger around 100 m2 and smaller ones around 50m2. The use of various wall openings means that almost every flat differs slightly from the others.
All premises are accessible to differently abled through elevators going down to the ground level and underground car park.