A hobbit hole meets futuristic architecture in this curvaceous home in Moscow, Russia. Niko Architect created a house built halfway into a hill called “House in the Landscape.” Its wide, rounded windows overlook the pond and the green landscape. The lush grass sweeps over the walls and roof of the home, adding color to the black and white exterior. During construction, Architect had thrown the conventions of rectangular architecture out the window.
Take a Tour of this Bright, Curvaceous Home
Many homes with wide-open windows face privacy issues, but this home is strategically positioned so that the windows face away from the street and neighbors. The rest hides behind the hillside.
“The landscape flows into the building — and the building into the landscape,” says Niko Architect. “It is enhanced by a green roof, on which a garden with woody and herbaceous plants and an artificial relief is organized.” [1]
The floor-to-ceiling windows draw in natural light as well as the scenic view.
At the property entrance, a grand staircase leads the visitor down the winding pathways into the private backward. Anyone entering has a chance to marvel at the fluidity of the structure with the nature around it.
“It is interconnected with the environment, a being of organic architecture,” says Niko Architect.
“As a result of the inexpressive environment, the fundamental concept base was the integration of the building into an artificially-created landscape and the inextricable connection of architecture with the open courtyard site structure.”
“The composition of architecture is developing freely,’ adds the Russian-based studio Ecopochva. “The idea of functional expediency, based on the harmonious ‘adaptation’ of the project to the conditions of its existence and purpose, prevails.”
Many statues feature in the interior design, as well as a futuristic black and white palette. Of course, the home’s curvaceous exterior extends inside as well in the furniture — and even the skylights. The angled windows bring in as much light as possible during different times of the day. There’s no sunny morning that moves into a dim afternoon or vice versa, as seen in many homes. [2]
“House in the Landscape”
The living area features a conversation pit beside a floating black fireplace. Meanwhile, several leaning chairs face the open window. A curved panel separates the room, but a large punched-out circle allows the light to fall into the dining area, which sits under one of the skylights.
“The panoramic molded windows do not prevent the focus from the site on the ‘history’ that occurs in the house and do not destroy a single architectural field, which includes the exterior-interior and landscape solutions,” explained the architects. [3]
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Similarly, the chunky furniture and the rounded details complement the signature curves of the architectural design. According to Architect, “The base interior solutions are the principle of the home gallery’ integration into the living space. The building frame is the backdrop for decor and art, sculptures, decorative elements with hidden Japanese themes, symbolic forms. Each piece of furniture is interpreted as an artwork.”
In this photo, the walls curve around a sweeping staircase. Meanwhile, the sculptures and decorating details toe the balance between warm and austere. Overall, the curvaceous home is almost 3,000 square feet, and its palette, natural sunlight, and rounded theme runs through every inch of it.
Black, White, and Light
Likewise, the bedroom is located downstairs. The main area is on the top floor. Therefore, the visitors could enjoy the most of the sunlight. The bedroom has wood flooring that matches the vertical slats that shield it from view of the courtyard. However, the bed is probably the most rectangular thing in this curvaceous home. It stands out as a result. Even the lamps, bedside tables, and lounge chairs fit the chunky and round aesthetic.
“Everything is balanced as in a living organism: the external space of the object is interwoven with the interior of the living room, bedroom, and other rooms,” said Architect. “The continuity of the mutual landscape flows into the building, and the building into the landscape is enhanced by the green roof, on which a garden with woody and herbaceous plants and an artificial relief is organized.” [4]
Similarly, the bathroom features black walls and little figurines “rappelling” from the ceiling.
Outside, the garage is the only part of the house that faces the street. It’s on the top of the hill, and it’s asymmetrical and rounded like the rest of the structure. A black gate encloses the property, which includes winding paths through the grassy area.
Keep Reading: Teenage carpenter spends two years building his own tiny, wooden house in parents’ garden
Sources
- “This Wild, Curvaceous Home Is Buried Beneath the Earth.” Dwell. Duncan Nielsen. December 6, 2019
- “House in Russia hidden beneath artificial green hill.” Dezeen. Jon Astbury. February 6, 2020
- “niko architect weaves organic, futuristic house into artificial landscape in moscow.” Design Boom. Sofia Lekka Angelopoulou. December 5, 2019
- “House in the landscape by Niko Architect.” Design Box. Niko Architect. January 28, 2020