In a city with a deep-rooted history in masonry and concrete, a quiet revolution is taking place. One built from timber, driven by community, and led by women. Magdalena Pios, an architect based in Warsaw, is the founder of Ambient, a sustainable architecture firm. She recently designed Warsaw’s very first public timber building and the city’s first Warsaw Green Building Standard (WGBS) certified project: the Choszczówka Library. Magdalena is proving that the future of the construction sector in Poland is far more diverse, ecological, and human-centred than many might expect. …Magdalena saw a chance to return to the historical tradition of wooden architecture that once defined Warsaw’s suburbs. However, introducing a bio-based public building in a market unaccustomed to timber was no small feat. …The success of the Choszczówka Library serves as a powerful proof-of-concept. It has catalysed a noticeable shift in how the city and other Polish architects view timber construction.
