Piotr Kuczia
architect

Founder of KUCZIA Architect studio, specializing in designing buildings that combine functionality with a sustainable approach to ecology and energy efficiency. His projects stand out for their attention to detail, as well as the needs and preferences of the users, with a focus on creating spaces that are both comfortable and individually tailored to the residents’ lives. As an architect, Kuczia emphasizes that the key element in design is the human being and their relationship with space. His goal is to create unique, functional, and aesthetic buildings that harmonize with their surroundings and the spirit of the place.

“Simplicity and honesty in architecture are fundamental parameters for me in design. My projects are always a response to the existing conditions and environment, and, most importantly, to the people who will inhabit them. I’m not interested in styles, trends, or fashions. I’m also not interested in established conventions, repetition, or imitation. I always strive for the most cost-effective version of solutions – believing that, just like in nature, it generates the greatest beauty. Everything starts from scratch and is not a designer’s idea, but a design process, a journey towards an optimal result in a given, unique situation. Only from this arises the form – my task is to ensure it has beauty within it – but that is a final task, a result of the process.”

Ksawery DuÅ›
investor

With a background in economics and a passion for history, cultural anthropology, and travel, Ksawery is also deeply interested in Eastern Orthodox frescoes and icons. He has traveled extensively to Romania, the Balkans, and Georgia. He is the founder of Oasis Club, a restaurant located in Udabno, Georgia, on the border between Georgia and Azerbaijan. In this unique steppe environment, he created a space that blends Polish hospitality with both Georgian and Polish cultural contexts. Oasis Club quickly became a popular stop on the way to the David Gareja Monastery, attracting tourists and travelers from around the world. A strong proponent of the slow food movement, Ksawery advocates for the mindful consumption of local, natural, and seasonal products.

Kinga Goc
investor

A philologist by education, Kinga is a Polish woman who has lived in Udabno for the past ten years. Together with her husband, she runs a restaurant, and on its roof, they plan to build Storknest, a home for their family of four. A true enthusiast of functionality in every sense of the word, she strives for optimization in every area she engages with. She is also an organizer of cultural events in Udabno, including the Oodabno Festival as well as numerous concerts and exhibitions.

Passionate about architecture and design. In Storknest responsible for marketing and social media.

Ewelina Gawell
architect

An architect and researcher affiliated with the Faculty of Architecture at the Warsaw University of Technology. She specializes in eco-friendly architecture and energy-efficient technologies. She leads a studio focused on designing interdependent architectural and structural forms using algorithmic methods. Dr. Gawell is the author of numerous publications on digital methods for optimization and spatial form shaping. with an emphasis on the use of wood and other natural materials in sustainable construction.

Borys Lewandowski
activist, architect

Borys Lewandowski is an urban and climate activist (Miasto Jest Nasze and Extinction Rebellion) and a natural building architect.. His one of the stablisher of Åšwiadom – a collective of architects focused on creating buildings using materials with a low or negative carbon footprint, rooted in natural building practices. Borys is one of the initiators of the Warsaw Climate Panel and a member of the Climate Partnership, a Warsaw- based think tank focused on technological cooperation for energy transition. In 2024, Borys was the lead facilitator of straw bale construction workshops in Udabno, which were attended by students from the Warsaw University of Technology.

Irakli Khmaladze
fixer

Irakli is a native of Udabno who started his journey with the Storknest project and Oasis Club five years ago. At that time, he was working in sheep farming and taking on various odd jobs, but he quickly became the restaurant’s best chef, thanks to his remarkable ability to learn in different fields. In the Storknest project, he is responsible for managing relations with the Georgian administration side and is actively gaining knowledge and skills related to natural building techniques.

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