Architect: Zakhar Kozolii
Project Year: 2012

Area: 300 sq m
Location: Kyiv, Ukraine

The house is situated on a long and narrow plot, 35 meters wide by 65 meters long, on a hill oriented to the east, offering great views of the Dniepr river. 

The roof cantilever create a dynamic impression, lifting the house off the ground, shaping the perception of the building and furthering its integration into the dramatic setting. Opening the building up to the river does not just happen on the outside – the rising roof allows larger room heights to the front. Together with the full-height windows, the bedrooms embrace the abundant nature.

The different levels of the building all focus on the panoramic views they get. The living room and kitchen open up to the west terrace which offers a view of the river and gets the afternoon and morning sun. The entrance to the house offers good orientation with views to the kitchen, into the living room and up the stair. A large west-facing window upstairs even guides some evening sunlight into the entrance area. 

The owners started with a pretty clear idea of how the project should be positioned on the site. With this as a starting point, the assignment was to design a holiday house for the young couple and their kid. The interior is considered a the shelter that enables the family to enjoy the natural landscape and outdoor lunches on weekends.

With this in mind, we developed a house that adapts to the slope of the site in three levels, organizing the program in a continuous space with no internal partitions. This approach embraces the cabin character desired by the owners and expanding the spatial feeling of the small dimensions of the house. There’s no specific function for each space, keeping its casual style and flexibility that allows for many guests or for a more private experience. On the other hand, all the roofs are decks that extend the patio and the interiors beyond the house.