AZIA arhitektid nestles ‘a house for a family and bikes’ into pine forest outside of tallinn

among the greenery and tall pine trees 

In the Nõmme district, outside of the city of Tallinn, Estonia, AZIA Arhitektid has designed a house for a family and bikes. Taking into account the overall relaxed atmosphere evoked by humble dwellings, and the landscape of the property, nestled into greenery and tall pine trees, the design team sought to make the most of the views, all the while maximally preserving the existing flora. 

The resulting structure thus presents itself as a volume with clean, simple geometries dominated by generous amounts of glazing, allowing the scenery to spill over the interiors. The main facade takes shape as a two-story volume crowned by an asymmetrical pitched roof, while on the other side the house is divided into three adjacent masses with stepped height. This way, the back volume peeks above the main facade, creating a visual linear continuity, for someone who faces it from the street. 

All images © tõnu tunnel

a house designed for motorbike lovers

Though the structure seems to follow a simple layout, the interior hides many spatial quirks to correspond to the active lifestyle of its inhabitants. According to the architects, layered like a 3D puzzle, the house is divided into five levels, each adopting its very own personality. The house’s core is a spotless and well-lit room with a separate entrance. For the owners, as motorbikes lovers, this room witnesses the building’s reason for existence, housing an impressive collection of vehicles.

The basement level accommodates storage rooms and a compulsory sauna. Rising up, the main level is dominated by a spacious living area wrapped in oversized openings that link to a terrace and a patch of greenery facing the low traffic street.

MAKING THE MOST OF THE GREENERY SURROUNDINGS

As for the interior, decorations such as lighting fixtures and fireplace, and a neat color palette were carefully selected to conform to the clean look of the tall space. As a reminder of the driving force behind the house, an inside window has been placed in the room to keep an eye on the garage. The master bedroom occupies the rest of the main level and opens towards the backyard. Meanwhile, its washroom contains natural lighting thanks to a large skylight. 

Almost all the rooms of the dwelling provide extending views of the greenery surroundings. From the kitchen residents and visitors can enjoy a panoramic overview of the garden suburb vibe. At the same time, there is a visual connection with the living room as well as the terrace facing the quiet street. The upper three levels accommodate the office and bedrooms for the kids and guests. Both of the kids’ bedrooms feature a balcony running the entire length of the room.

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project info:

name: House for a Family and Bikes
designer: AZIA Arhitektid

location: Tallinn, Estonia

completed: 2021
size: 315 sqm
design team: Aleksandr Zverev, Ingrid Aasoja-Zverev
collaborators: Azia Arhitektid OÜ
civil engineering: Arsineja

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