peter kostelov: origami house

‘origami house’ by peter kostelov, moscow russia image © zinon razutdinov

the ‘origami house’ was built for russia’s reality show ‘dachniy otvet’ in which a client and an architect meet only once, the project is designed and built, and the owners return to evaluate the work. moscow-based peter kostelov was featured in this episode where he was met with a social family who was looking for a summer home where they could enjoy athletic activities outdoors and host gatherings. the only parameter given by the mother of the household was that it could be anything but a basketball court, which gave much freedom in the design.

the final product is a white-washed wooden structure which folds and wraps on all axes, lending to the idea of origami. like an exercise in 3d parti and geometric spatial relationships, each surface of the residence serves multiple purposes in an all-integrated construction. it sits as a sculpture open to the elements, with half of the living areas exposed to the exterior and the other half with the capability of closing itself off to protect against the unpredictable moscow weather.

approach from the street image © zinon razutdinov

the dwelling can be divided into five sections. the water area contains a pool, a bath and a bucket for a post-sauna dousing, with an overpass connected to a well. a sun-bathing zone contains built-in lounge beds, podiums and space for armchairs, with a retractable canopy for shade. a simple gym is placed throughout with parallel bars, a swing, ample space in the yard and a referee’s chair incorporated into the construct. the semi-interior kitchen and dining area contains a small table, hammock, summer cinema and stereo system. the observation area is located on the second level, which is also used as a sunbathing zone complete with misters.

entrance to the house image © zinon razutdinov