za bor architects: house of mr.r, moscow

‘ house for mr.r’ by za bor architects, moscow, russiaimage © za bor architects

despite its deconstructivist sensibility, the imposing faceted gray structure ‘house of mr. r’ in moscow draws its forms from a deep sensitivity to the greenery of site. za bor architects were give carte blanche to design the single-family home, albeit with the stipulation that the architecture respect the existing trees on the 1800 square meter plot. the plan skirts around and incorporates birches, oaks and pines and the design team even went so far as to create and embed a special concrete pipe into the foundation to preserve a tree root. while the volumes grew from the layout of the foundation, the home is carefully composed into public and private areas, emphasized by way of material and color. the monochromatic reinforced concrete exterior counters white marble interiors dotted with channels of pebbles and black built-in furniture. a wine cellar is expanded with tinted glass mirrors and wrapped in a pattern of corian and dark wood. contrastingly, the more private areas are swathed in warmer materials– oak paneling and cream-colored textiles work in conjunction with band skylight to create airy bedrooms and bathrooms. the sloped roof is actually a single faceted piece, accessible for sunbathing and or picnicking while providing choice apertures to bathe the home with interior light.