monolithic 'forest view' house appears to float among the woods of russia

russian architecture practice horomystudio introduces its ‘forest view’ house as an object in the landscape. while expressed as a monolith, the faceted timber cabin occupies its forested context with a light footprint and a narrow plan. the design team favored this minimum built area in an effort to preserve all the existing trees that make up the site. despite its compact plan,  the project is programmed to house several families. this is achieved be organizing the spaces across six levels, all united by a large living room as a common gathering space. 

images © dmitrii tsyrenshchikov

based in russia, the design team at horomystudio nestles its ‘forest view’ house among its forest site without disrupting any of the trees. at the ground level, the house touches the ground with only a sliver of its volume, the rest supported by a cluster of pillars. this strategy creates an illusion that the faceted mass floats above the forest floor, an architectural object emerging from within the trees. the monolith is perforated by scattered picture windows of various sizes and dimensions, creating framed views of the landscape throughout the interior.

horomystudio programs the residential ares across four levels of the ‘forest view’ house. the remaining two levels host technical spaces. because of the site’s sloping topography, the first story of the house is partially embedded into the ground and doubly perform as a retaining wall to maintain the clear, occupiable space beneath the floating volume above. the team notes that it was essential that this covered outdoor area remain clear to allow vehicles to pass underneath if necessary.

despite its monolithic mass, the house occupies the landscape lightly