WHEN DESIGN MEETS ENGINEERING

                                                      WHEN DESIGN MEETS ENGINEERING

                                                                      LUXURY NEST

The design of this home introduces a revolutionary outward-looking approach to the city’s architectural tradition. This home represents the tradition of the terrace, with its emphasis on an outdoor orientation, but in a context and climatic condition vastly different from the origin of the type.

Glazing systems have advanced to a point where they can effectively provide insulation in the Russian winter extremes, which solved the climate challenge. The real challenge was to mediate a dialogue between the two traditions to resolve the new approach harmoniously in the Russian context. The design addresses the urban architectural character of the capital city and the pocket of natural pine forest on the island, something of a rarity this close to the historic center.

From the garden, the architecture presents a contrasting facade. Open fragmented glass walls invite views of the pines in, blurring the distinction between what’s inside or outside. The outdoor terraces and the faceted, angular facade create courtyards and external rooms that facilitate an interaction between landscape and architecture that is a departure from the local tradition.

The heavy, protective quality of the facade, particularly that of the street, gives way to a warm, lively interior in the way the outer shell of a geode might reveal a warm agate or shimmering crystal interior. It imparts an exquisite, jewel-like quality to the interiors, which have a somewhat whimsical, playful quality in contrast to the exterior.