green roofs melt j.mayer.h's n.n. residence into the rolling hills of rural moscow

located on an expansive site outside of moscow, berlin-based studio j.mayer.h has designed a private house for a family. the huge project, which boasts a total floor area of 57,048.73 ft2 (5300 m2), focuses on creating an architectural language that blurs the line between the landscape and the built environment. incorporating green-covered roofs and organic, undulating forms, the n.n. residence essentially melts into the patterns of the rollings hills which surround it. 

all images © ilya ivanov

the built form is designed by j.mayer.h to stretch into the site. this horizontality is achieved by a number of elements. firstly by the grass-covered roof, which at certain points touches the ground, creating a soft transition between architecture and nature. the building is also effectively embedded into the plot thanks to the detailed landscape design, which mirrors the curved forms of the residence while also incorporating areas of untouched nature.

the program, which covers two floors, is planned to be flexible and with the omission of straight lines to mirror the external appearance. the social functions of the house are created to be open, with the glazed façade that surrounds the building providing light-filled interiors. the bedrooms on the upper level also have direct access to the garden via the ramp-like green roofs, however, these quieter spaces are afforded privacy by being  located deep inside the plan.

designed not only for aesthetics, the green roofs and dense floors provide a better interior climate by way of surface evaporation and heat buffer capacities for heating and cooling. the residence is also bordered on one side by the river moskva, however, the architect has allowed for a generous distance between the new building and the water. overall, and considering the huge proportions of the family home, j.mayer.h’s design effectively creates an architecture that blends into the site. like an animal that camouflages itself into the surroundings, the n.n. residence explores the boundary between nature and the built form. 

project info:

project name: n.n. residence

location: near moscow, russia

client: n.n.

project date: 2014 – 2019

total floor area: 57,048.73 ft2 (5300 m2)

construction period: 2014 – 2019

architect: j.mayer.h und partner, architekten mbB

partner in charge: jürgen mayer h.

project architect: max margorskyi

project team: bart van den hoven, jesko m. johnsson-zahn, paul konrad, baptiste rouit, gilian shaffer

architect on site: alexander erman architecture & design

landscape architect: mikhail kozlov with the participation of tatiana skibo, maria khokhlova

planting design: natureform

landscape lighting design: anna kharchenkova

fountains and artificial ponds engineering: green brothers

structural design landscape elements: arkont

photographer: ilya ivanov