dark metal and wood cladding wraps gabled ‘house among the pines’ in ukraine

ArchObraz plants ‘laconic’ house in Dnipro’s forest

Architectural bureau ArchObraz constructs ‘House among the pines’, a structure gracefully inscribed in the surrounding forest in the suburbs of Dnieper, Ukraine. The city of Dnipro is situated on both banks of the river, while its central historical part is located on the hilly right bank and the left bank is positioned in a lowland, with a lower population density and a large number of small tributaries of Dnieper. New technological possibilities for working remotely, as well as the historically difficult environmental situation in the city, leads suburban housing construction to gain popularity within a radius of up to 35 km from the center. This trend is mostly observed along the banks of the Dnieper, Oreli, and Samara tributaries, as well as numerous lakes and canals.

Through the design process several questions about this trend are raised, such as whether a new modern house can coincide with an existing forest area, what could be the optimal solution for a separately designed building in a forest cottage town that stands under construction, and how could the natural resources for the construction of an ethical house maintain its harmonic relationship with the natural environment. The shape, materials, and engineering solutions of the project form a dialogue with the setting adapting modern private house to the climatic and regional features of the area.

all images by Andrii Avdeenko

energy-efficient cottage merges with nature

The design group seamlessly merges the structure into the surrounding forest, minimally changing the nature of the landscape. The ascetic form of the house hides the overall energy efficiency, the stained glass windows are oriented to the southeast and southwest, and the carport to the northeast, which is most effective for this region of Ukraine. The original frame structure allows more than double the standard requirements of the heat loss resistance of the enclosing walls. The heat pump is used for heating, hot water, air conditioning, and recuperative ventilation.

The stained glass windows have built-in electrical heating for winter heating, developed by a local innovation company. External cladding and interior decoration are made considering the rational use of local resources, metal and wood. As a result, the cottage stands in harmony with the environment and generates a sense of unity with nature. ‘The completion of the construction of the house almost coincided with the invasion of Muscovy into the country. The city has become the center of the volunteer movement, a major hub for migrants. Enterprises and educational institutions from the east of Ukraine moved here’, comment the architects.

the structure gracefully inscribes in the surrounding forest