three-level private house (450 m2) in the Moscow region A. Borodavchenko, A. Goncharova, V. Varganov, M. Zaslavsky, S. Achkasov

Passing the gallery

A photo: Evgeny Luchin

Text: Olga Vologdina

Architect: Sergey Achkasov, Vladimir Varganov, Mikhail Zaslavsky, Anna Goncharova, Alexander Borodavchenko

Project coordinator: Alexander Zhuravlev

Builder: Владимир Радишевский

Magazine: (74)

The history of this object is unusual. Initially, the house was intended for one owner. Construction and finishing works were completed, it was necessary to bring furniture, when suddenly the house was sold. New owners "inherited" got not only the land, but also the house, along with architects and designers. Architects Alexander Borodavchenko and Vladimir Varganov tell how the work was built.Salon: Alexander, the house is surrounded by a terrace, set on columns-supports. What dictated such an unusual decision? Alexander Borodavchenko: This is a terrace. For several reasons, the location of the house was in the lowland. The house needed to be raised, otherwise it would have turned out to be too pressed into the ground. The terrace is a constructive solution to the foundation located in the ravine. In other words, the terrace on the columns is an attempt to get out of the ravine.S: How did it happen that the space-spatial solution was made by you, while others were engaged in the interior?A.B .: The customer considered that the actual design should be done by some people, and the design by others. In his opinion, these are fundamentally different tasks. The architect creates, forms the space, and the designer draws it. I think he is right about something. But this does not mean that we fundamentally do not deal with the interior. Not at all. Simply, we are focused on large-scale, "large" design.S: So, what idea did you implement this time?A.B .: The house was supposed to be stylistically modern and at the same time with a sloping roof, about 400-450 meters, three-story, with a socle and a clear functional zoning. Basement - garage, swimming pool and sauna, billiard room, utility rooms; the first floor of a loft type - living room, dining room, kitchen, study; private rooms - on the second floor and a recreation area - on the third. With such a functional density, the space would inevitably turn out to be compressed and heavy. It was necessary to achieve a feeling of lightness and transparency. To facilitate the space, we decided to tear off the volumes, dilute with each other. Receiving an unplug, rupture dematerializes the space, gives it a certain lightness and airiness. The building no longer seems so loaded and stiff. Intrigue appears in space: turns, openings from which other volumes can be seen. I think this is interesting: standing still in the hallway, you can see several floors, already at the entrance the internal structure of the house is read, not explicitly, but read.S: Are you not afraid that due to intrigue the space becomes too complicated?A.B .: Sometimes the redundancy of something: scale, size, methods is justified, especially when such a complex space, like a house, is created by simple forms.S: Is the idea of ​​viewing space solved only by the method of splitting volumes or is there something else?A.B .: Not only. The separation of volumes goes both vertically and horizontally. High-rise buildings with a relatively small area implies the unfolding of space upwards. A sort of spiral design, but at the same time, if it is not properly supported from below, proportions fail, proportionality will disappear. "Cross-shaped" sweep according to the plan and there is support on the plane and on the cardinal points. However, this solution to the problem with the layout was not limited. There was another nuance. On the first floor accounted for 150 square meters, a third of the total area. According to the plan it was supposed to be open and solid. But in this case, a large single-plane living room would contrast with the rest of the more compact rooms of the other floors. Hence the division of space into levels. At the same time, the connection between the floors inside the room becomes more complicated, and the possibilities of shaping appear much more. As you can see, the dining room, kitchen, living room and staircase hall represent a single, but at the same time zoned space. Zoning is carried out by a level difference. The top level is occupied by the living room: it was raised to the podium. It is isolated from the other zones and at the same time not completely divorced from them. A double-sided fireplace combines it with the rest of the levels. The idea of ​​moving the space from one to another is used. From certain points, for example from the dining room, the space around the house is viewed on all four sides. No feeling of isolation, the house is open in all senses.Vladimir Varganov: In the interior, we tried to preserve the theme of transparency, viewability. Accordingly, the choice of colors (in the decoration of the fireplace is warm shades of gray; white as the main background) and materials of staircase designs was dictated by this very consideration. In order for the staircase to look easy, we stopped at a not quite interior material - aluminum. It is not just light, it looks easy and, what is most interesting, organically fit into the geometric volumes, combined them with each other. The bedroom window overlooks the living room. According to the plan, a transparent stained glass window was planned, combining the first and second floors into a single light space. True, the owners chose a less radical solution. Now it is a translucent frosted glass. Which, if you noticed, goes around the perimeter of the house.S: What other ideas did you have when you were working on this project?A.B .: What can a man of man-made civilization yearn for? According to the lost paradise - nature. Nature in a living environment ... It seems to me that, in architectural discourse, this idea can more literally be implemented in a space-planning solution. Then there is the "domestication" with the help of natural, natural colors, streamlined forms of furniture, ornament in the decor, etc. When designing the rooms where households are most often, we proceeded from the movement of the sun: the daytime area and the bedroom face the sunny side. Large panoramic windows to the floor are both a source of natural light and a “window to nature”. In addition, from all rooms on the first floor there is access to a terrace that runs around the house.S: The house had to pass in the shortest possible time. Did this circumstance affect the design?VV: More likely no than yes. The surprising ability of the hostess to make decisions instantly became decisive. And of course, good taste. You will not believe it, but there was no case that she hesitated or thought for a long time when choosing a tile or furniture ... Sometimes the customer’s indecision delays the process for many months, especially when it comes to a country house. We are satisfied with the result. The result was a light and elegant interior.Alexander Borodavchenko: “Sometimes working with a demanding customer who knows what he needs is much easier and more effective than when the customer gives you a blank check. When creating a“ perfect ”space for living, the understanding of beauty and comfort changes, and the choice from the multiplicity of options becomes especially heavy. "