«Swallowtail house»

Type: private house

Location: Podolsk, Moscow obl., Russia
Area: 150 m2
Year: 2022

«Swallowtail house» is a private house on a narrow site with existing buildings, with a sharp drop in relief, turning into a ravine with a river. It is designed for the permanent residence of one person, with the ability to accommodate visiting members of a large family.

The house is located at the very end of a narrow site, directly on the slope of the ravine. Two full-size bedrooms are located on the ground floor, at the front of the house, in a private area, close to the garden-oriented entrance. The main space is the kitchen-living room. A large panoramic window separates the kitchen-living room space from the terrace. A poetic view of the Pakhra River valley opens from the terrace and the living room.

There are a couple of attic spaces above the living room. These mezzanines, which serve as guest bedrooms, are illuminated by skylights. Outside, the house is covered in metal sheets, and inside, the interiors are dominated by wood trim. This approach provides a contrast in perception between external and internal. Laconic dormer windows overlooking both extended facades form a dovetail silhouette from the side of the garden, defining the image of the building.

Windows in the main rooms offer views of the ravine and the garden. At the same time, the side facades of the house are deliberately deaf. The terrace is open in the direction of the ravine, and on its sides, there are shaped rotary shutters that can be opened and closed at will.

Axonometric view:
Axonometric view:
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