A 1920's-era home in the Biskupin neighborhood of Wrocław. Nearly all the homes here are built to the same durable pattern that homes have been built to in Poland since the Middle Ages—with thick masonry walls, inset windows, and steep tile roofs surrounded by ample gutters and good overhangs.
Gutters are ubiquitous on Polish homes. Most have 200-mm- (7.8 inch) diameter to 280-mm (11 inch) half-rounds formed from 0.6-mm-thick (about 22 gauge) powder-coated aluminum or galvanized steel.
Downspouts are typically formed from a much sturdier 1.6-mm (16-gauge) metal. Note the steel flashing visible near the end of the gutter that directs water away from the fascia from blowing rain. The cable is a ground wire from lightning rods. The roofing here is flat, glazed concrete tiles. We are seeing the profile specific to rake edges.
Most gutter downspouts are connected to ground drains that either drain to daylight far from the house or dump into the city storm sewer.
Old walls retrofit with continuous exterior insulation that is clad with traditional stucco.
Stone window sill with cut-in drip edge.
Tile window sill with formed drip edge
Triple-pane tilt-and-turn is a standard window in most homes.
Even most glass sliding doors had triple-pane glass and tilt-and-turn functionality.
Hydronic heating is standard and each radiator is typically controlled with thermostatic radiator valve (TRV).
An exterior entry way that is well protected from water.
Even garage doors are well protected.
This home survived both world wars ...
... though it did take some machine gun fire during World War II.
One of the older homes in the area dates to the 16th century.
While coal still dominates the power sector in Poland, alternative sources of energy are gaining ground. These "hybrid" lamps powered by both photovoltaics and a wind turbine are used to light streets, parks and bike paths.