Interior from the cover: wooden house on the shore of the Gulf of Finland

Eduard Zakharov and Olga Vetosheva, Horomystudio bureau, designed a house on the shore of the Gulf of Finland, the architecture of which combines modern panoramic glazing and carved platbands in the Old Russian style

The house of 283 sq. m is a frame structure built of environmentally friendly materials with the use of energy—efficient technologies – a joint development of Horomystudio and the Institute of Passive House.

Photo: Dmitry Tsyrenshchikov

The setting of the house on the site was determined by century—old trees – the foundation was laid without the use of heavy construction equipment strictly between ancient root systems, and the history of the place suggested the style of architecture. “The village itself is new,— specify the founders of the Horomystudio bureau, Eduard Zakharov and Olga Vetosheva. — But in our project we decided to reflect not only modern architectural solutions, but also the traditions of pre-revolutionary dachas located in this part of the Gulf of Finland. This is how the motifs of carved decor arose, which can be traced in the design of windows and cornices. In the near future, similar elements will appear in the drawing of fences and additional buildings on the site.”

Living room. Sofa, Bolia. Fireplace, Skantherm.

Photo: Dmitry Tsyrenshchikov

The customers wanted a modern, comfortable house with its own unique style

The spacious kitchen with panoramic windows opens onto the terrace. Bar stools, Bend Goods.

Photo: Dmitry Tsyrenshchikov

This approach was to the taste of customers who wanted their home to be comfortable, modern, but at the same time had its own unique style. “Sunlight has become another important element shaping not only the exterior of the house, but also its functional zoning,” the architects continue. “The layout takes into account the viewpoints and the changing position of the sun during the day.”

The painted pine staircase is a single composition with a fireplace. The columns are lined with glossy galvanized metal, due to which they seem to dissolve in space.

Photo: Dmitry Tsyrenshchikov

“The layout takes into account the viewpoints and the changing position of the sun during the day”

Living-dining room. Fireplace, Skantherm. Sofa, Bolia. Table and benches, Horomystudio design. Hanging lamps, Delta Light.

Photo: Dmitry Tsyrenshchikov

The geometry of the lines of the house is going to form a trefoil. On the ground floor there is an entrance area, a technical part, a block with a kitchen and a spa area. The central space includes a dining room, a living room and a staircase wrapped around the fireplace that leads to the bedrooms on the second floor. All terraces are oriented towards the forest. “Panoramic glazing blurs the boundaries between the interior and the landscape,” says Olga. — Minimalist, simple furniture does not attract attention to itself, remains unnoticeable, without losing its ergonomics. Such, for example, is the dining table designed by us with two benches. For the first time we showed it at the Spoga+Gafa furniture exhibition in Cologne as part of the Unique Young Star 2015 competition, where we were the only participants from Russia.”

The facade of the house is decorated with painted larch. Horomystudio architects drew the patterns of carved platbands and cornices based on the study of unique samples of wooden architecture of the Gulf of Finland, giving them a modern interpretation due to more concise forms and painting in black.

Photo: Dmitry Tsyrenshchikov

“Conciseness, comfort, openness — this idea is at the heart of every object and every room in the house,” confirms Eduard. “At any point in the space, a person feels unity with the unique nature of the Gulf of Finland, and thanks to the details of the decoration, he finds a connection with the historical roots of its architecture.”

Horomystudio Bureau, www.horomystudio.com , @horomystudioModern rack partition with carved elements in the Russian style.