Grand in its scale yet so organically woven into the surrounding nature that it never feels enormous, this three storey house of more than 600 m² immediately catches the eye both outside and inside. In this project, architect Olesya Tishchenko of The Visualist studio has very precisely combined the restraint and sustainability of a glued laminated timber house by Finnish company Honka with the Italian luxury of the interior, creating a truly cohesive space.
The house is built on a slope beside a lake and a pine forest, so the architect designed the basement level in concrete. Here you find garages, a gym, a utility room and a walk in wardrobe, as well as a special cold room for storing wine and snacks. The basement has no windows, so the ventilation here will be mechanical.
On the ground floor Olesya Tishchenko planned a generous living room combined with the kitchen, a sunny terrace, a study and a guest bedroom with a shower room. All the rooms in the house are arranged with natural light in mind, so the terrace can be used for sunbathing in the warmer months. The heart of the home is a white-suspended wood burning fireplace, visible from every point in the living room and from the terrace. Almost all of the furniture has been brought from Italy, contemporary shapes and natural materials sustain the atmosphere of quiet luxury and unity with nature that the architect has curated so carefully.
An airy solid wood staircase leads to the second floor, and the house is also equipped with a lift to ensure accessibility for residents and guests with limited mobility. On the second floor the architect placed the master bedroom with its own bathroom and two walk in wardrobes, one for her and one for him. One of the key features of the house is the panoramic glazing. Even the owners’ bathtub is positioned by the window. To keep the panoramic view of the trees from the bedroom, Olesya Tishchenko concealed a retractable television in a special cabinet at the foot of the bed; this concise detail reflects her attitude to comfort and to the view. Another smart feature on this floor is a dedicated laundry chute that sends clothes straight from the second floor down to the utility room in the basement.
In addition to the master bedroom, the second floor includes two children’s rooms, each with its own bathroom and a small wardrobe. In this way the house subtly meets the needs of a large multigenerational family, where parents, children and grandchildren live together while still enjoying private space. Here it is especially clear how carefully the architect has thought through everyday routines and the day-to-day comfort of everyone who will live in the house.
