KWK Promes embeds its Yaw House into a mountain slope

In southern Poland’s Beskid Mountains, KWK Promes completes Yaw House, a grass-roofed residence shaped directly by the incline of its site. Instead of leveling the terrain or placing a fixed object against the hillside, the architects embed the building within the land itself. The project takes its name from the aviation term ‘yaw,’ describing rotation around a vertical axis, and that single movement defines the home’s entire layout.

The house begins with a familiar gabled silhouette positioned parallel to neighboring structures, maintaining continuity with the local architectural language. From there, the volume rotates toward southern light and valley views, creating a subtle shift that reorganizes the interiors and their views outward. 

images © Jakub Certowicz

a rotated form organizes the interior

At the front of the house, the architects at KWK Promes places the entrance and service spaces, including areas dedicated to the clients’s love for cars, especially off-road vehicles. Toward the garden side, the architecture opens broadly.

The ground floor expands into a glazed living area facing greenery and sunlight, while the upper level contains bedrooms positioned above the shared spaces below. The shift 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 terrain. Portions of the structure appear partially absorbed into the hillside, while sections of the roofline extend outward and visually merge with the surrounding ground. From certain viewpoints, the house seems to lower itself into the site rather than sit upon it. The architecture maintains a strong geometric identity, though the terrain continuously interrupts and reshapes how it is perceived.

the sloped 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 the structure was already underway. Integrating such a significant new element into an active construction site presented a major technical challenge, especially within a layout already calibrated to the terrain.

Rather than treating the addition as an attachment or secondary feature, KWK Promes folded the pool directly into the composition. Positioned centrally within the house and designed around a circular volume, it now acts as the spatial and emotional center of the residence. The geometry contrasts with the angular rooflines and linear circulation routes surrounding it, introducing a softer presence into the otherwise directional plan.

an underground pool sits at the center of the home

landscaping shaped by the site

The surrounding landscape was approached with the same sensitivity to terrain and local conditions. In many recent projects, KWK Promes has incorporated wild meadow planting that allows vegetation to grow densely around architecture. For Yaw House, however, the strategy shifted in response to the presence of snakes native to the area. At the clients’ request, the greenery surrounding the building was intentionally kept shorter for safety reasons.

That adjustment reflects the broader attitude behind the project. Yaw House avoids imposing a singular visual statement onto the mountain landscape. Instead, the architecture responds continuously to practical realities including slope, sunlight, movement, rehabilitation, and ecology. Even the landscaping evolves through direct negotiation with the environment around it.

the gabled volume echoes the silhouettes of the surrounding homes

parts of the roof merge into the surrounding hillside

large glazed openings frame views across the Beskid Mountains

project info:

name: Yaw House

architect: Robert Konieczny KWK Promes | @robertokonieczny

location: Beskid Mountains, Poland

completion: 2025

photography: © Jakub Certowicz | @jakubcertowicz

authors: Marek Golab-Sieling, Robert Konieczny

collaboration: Anna Szewczyk


structural design: Kornel Szyndler Proeco


home decor: WIDAWSCY studio architektury

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