Karina Wiciak of Wamhouse studio imagines iconic brand logos as houses

One can find inspirations for design anywhere, in anything. In fact, everything that we see around us, is design. The size and shape of the Starbucks coffee cup, the girth of a door handle, the application you use to order shoes, literally everything. Architects and designers often mediate between the realms of the real and conceptual, in seemingly maddening fashion. Every form was once a sketch on paper, every book a thought trapped in a person’s mind.

Poland based designer Karina Wiciak of Wamhouse studio has conceptualised a short series of theoretical house designs, comprising the Trihouse, Rhombhouse, Crosshouse, Pyrahouse and the latest one, Ringhouse. These grey dwellings draw heavily from the shapes of iconic brand logos, such as Adidas and Audi, transforming them from 2D shapes to three dimensional beings visualised in concrete and glass.

Wiciak shares that she noticed that some logos already looked like buildings, so she just started the process to design them as houses. “It was purely accidental – the inspiration just hit when I realised that these logos resemble buildings,” says Wiciak. “The choice of brands was dictated by the possibilities offered by a given logo, possibilities of their adaptation to architecture.”

The first in the conceptual house series is the Trihouse, directly referencing the triangular logo of sportswear brand Adidas. Spread across 560 sqm, the Trihouse consists of three concrete strips, separated by hunks of glass. The glass partitions are transparent throughout their entire width, bringing in light into the roomy volume spread across four levels.

This is followed by Rhombhouse, fashioned after the diamond shaped logo of automobile brand Renault. The 270 sqm residence hosts four storeys, with its front façade made entirely out of glass and enclosed by a diamond concrete frame. When asked what inspired these concepts, Wiciak emphasises that “everything that is created today is the result of evolution and a continuation of what was once created”

The Crosshouse sits majestically on a shimmering body of water – the cross shaped exterior is inspired by the iconic car brand, Chevrolet. The negative space of the logo’s middle is positioned as the interiors of the house. Large glass windows make up the exterior of the 245 sqm dwelling, which according to the design, can only be accessed by air.

The fourth one in the series is based on the Mitsubishi logo, called the Pyrahouse. The 320 sqm Pyrahouse is envisaged as a concrete and glass pyramid. Wiciak believes that these concepts are not completely detached from the real, and can one day be moulded into reality. “Of course, in some cases their construction requires the use of more advanced and more expensive technologies, especially when it comes to windows and large concrete constructions,” she explains. “I have to admit that these are not economical solutions, but that was not my priority anyway,” she chuckles.

The Ringhouse is the fifth, and latest in the conceptual house series, informed by the four rings of the luxury vehicle logo Audi. Wiciak says that the concept draws from the brand logo that was created in the 1930s, and blends it with features of modern architecture, such as the use of raw concrete, rounded walls and windows, open internal spaces and large glazing. “As in previous houses in this series, Ringhouse has clearances on the surface of all large windows, making the form of the building more readable and instantly recognisable,” says Wiciak.

Four cylindrical volumes are placed in parallel to form the Ringhouse, imagined as a luxurious holiday residence, sitting amid natural vegetation. The 280 sqm house hosts one floor, along with an underground garage with utility rooms.

The living area has been deliberately kept as double heighted to maintain the “readability of the four cylindrical bodies on the outside”. This floor consists of large open rooms such as a spacious kitchen and dining room, a study room with a library and a music room, all partially fenced off with glass walls, a favourite element of Wiciak. It also includes a corridor with an open lounge, two bedrooms with adjoining bathrooms and wardrobes and a pantry.

The civil engineer turned designer shares that one can find design inspirations from anywhere – “I think everything that is happening around us is more or less conscious inspiration, so in a sense, everything inspires me – the key is to be open minded, and let our imaginations run wild”. Wiciak announces that she has more ideas for this series, and hopes that she manages to continue these conceptual logo design houses along with her other projects.

Please tell us in the comments below, what you think of these conceptual logo house designs. Which house would you like to live in?