Europe needs to redefine the way architecture is being built, and also, more importantly, renovated. That is the case also for Poland, with a large stock of degraded housing.
This research explores the potential of bio-based materials and strategies in retrofitting Polish inter-war masonry tenement housing, focusing on circularity while addressing technical requirements, user needs and maintaining historical integrity. Through literature review, market research, cataloguing, and interviews with professionals, the study identifies key challenges in energy efficiency, moisture management, and user satisfaction, proposing bio-based materials such as wood, hemp, flax, wood fibre, straw and many others as effective solutions.
The design focuses on one of the buildings along Grochowska street in Warsaw, with an intention that it could be easily applied to other bildings of the same typology, numerous in the capital. A timber-based structure system is proposed in key interventions to the building, adding new usable space for the residents along with energy retrofitting. Custom timber joinery was developed for that purpose, dawing inspiration from japanese and polsh craftmenship.
The findings of the research emphasize the importance of navigating technical requirements with user preferences, which include affordability, comfort, and adaptability. By addressing these factors, bio-based solutions offer significant advantages in reducing environmental impact of the refurbishment action while enhancing living conditions. To bridge the gap between innovative practices and real-world application, the study also develops a guidebook and materials catalogue, providing accessible knowledge base about biobased renovation strategies to homeowners, designers, and policymakers.
This work contributes to renewable building practices by demonstrating how bio-based strategies can meet both ecological and practical demands, offering a path toward decarbonizing and futureproofing Poland’s aging housing stock.

This article explores stories of the first digital tools in architectural design, with a focus on the Cybernetics movement of the 1950s and 1960s. Through an examination of pioneering technologies, their initial promises, and the subsequent reasons for their failure or abandonment, the text aims to shed light on the historical development of digital tools in architecture and design. By questioning prevailing definitions of success and failure within the context of architecture technology history, the study encourages critical reflections on alternative paths that may have shaped current digital toolsets. Additionally, the analysis includes an exploration of the sentiments of professionals, users, and the broader public during this transformative period, revealing the significant influence of community voices on the trajectory of digital architectural toolkits. Drawing upon extensive literature reviews, archival document analysis, and case studies including the “Lightpen”, “Sketchpad”, or the “Lincoln Wand”, this article contributes to filling the gaps in existing knowledge regarding the lesser known, often peculiar from modern perspective, cybernetic tools in the context of architectural design.