A house that compliments its surroundings

Housing that complements its surroundings as opposed to disrupting it has and always will have a place in our hearts. So naturally, this concept titled FRANCO HOUSE, is right up our street! Designing a house isn’t always plain sailing and this project certainly wasn’t without its hurdles; but it’s how the design tackles the challenges that make it so beautiful. The bulk of the issues stem around the slope it is perched on, which sees a staggering 12-meter elevation change! The tiered, geometric design allows the building to descend the hill gracefully, whilst simultaneously offering an intriguingly unique home to reside within.

This striking example of architecture is sensitive to the surrounding nature that has stood there for decades before it; its position preserves the trees whilst the solar panels and eco-sensitive design allow it to be extremely energy efficient! This may just be the home of our dreams!

Designers: Illya Rastvorov and MONO Architects

“The customer, a successful startup owner from Silicon Valley, easily went along with challenging and out of the box ideas, which led to the creation of a modern and functional facility,” Rastvorov told Yanko Design.

“The first challenge for us was the location of the villa. Given that the construction was planned on a slope with 12 meters difference, it was necessary to create a convenient entry to the territory for residents. Structurally, the house consists of three tiers: the upper one, with a garage for 4 cars, the middle one with the entry, and the lower one, with a lounge area on the roof.”

“The villa was designed taking into account all the specifics of the surrounding area. The building is inscribed in the landscape in such a way that it preserves the trees growing here, and in order to be energy efficient, solar panels were installed on the roof of the garage. In addition, thanks to the tiered construction, the building does not prevent residents of neighboring villas from enjoying stunning views of the bay.”

“The simple geometry of the facade ideally fits into the unusual arrangement of tiers, and the use of modern materials made the building visually light and still solid and massive. There is a lot of space inside the villa: four bedrooms, a living room, a personal office, a wine room, a kitchen-dining room, a gym and a cinema. On the middle tier there is a swimming pool and a viewing terrace, and on the lower tier there is a relaxation area for a barbecue or an open-air party.”

“Due to glass facade the sun freely penetrates into the room providing a lot of natural light throughout the day. Ergonomic and functional interior complements the general idea: everything you need without any frills. Using soft colors and preserving the maximum free space, the designers created an ideal place for relaxation, “a get away” from daily routine.”

Here’s how to live and walk in the clouds

There is far more to successful architecture than how the building looks; for it to accomplish its desired aim it must be congruous with its surroundings whilst simultaneously making a statement of its own – this is exactly what the Cloud House has achieved.

Positioned in the Southern Alps in Queensland, New Zealand, it has been designed to complement the snowy peaks that surround it. It gets its name from the stainless-steel membrane that encases the upper section of the building; not only does this create a visually striking and undeniably unique visual that is reminiscent of clouds, but also provides functional benefits as it performs as a sun diffuser and heater/cooler.

The visually light, cloud-like structure sits upon a harsh, concrete base that cuts into the gentle elevation change of the hillside. This creates a distinct juxtaposition between the two levels and introduces an element of suspense into the building.

Designer: Illya Rastvorov

Cozier on the inside!

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The KUBE home has a strangely rigid vibe. Appropriately named, it looks like a clean cut cube on the outside. However the inside tells a completely different story. While the outside looks cold and almost deterring to unwanted people, the inside is quite the opposite. There’s a stark change from the concrete gray on the outside to the warm incandescence of the inside. The layout has a studio apartment vibe to it with the entire space being loosely segregated into rooms.The lower level has a large living area space with an entire wall serving as a shelf (I see books, I drool). On one corner lies the dining area which connects to the kitchen. A balcony-style mezzanine floor serves as the bedroom with what I can only imagine is a rather lavish glass walled bathroom. Why not, I say! Maybe just shut the blinds when the guests come over?

Designers: Illya Rastvorov & Sergey Makhno Architects.

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