Architecture

Topsy - Turvy

Irina Kozlova, Egor Orlov
RUDN University
Russian Federation

Project idea

The Topsy-Turvy house is seen as a refuge, a cave. It is possible to get into the cave only through the "spatial underside". At the beginning a person enters the "architectural cave", which serves as a cave hall of the complex and performs the function of socialisation. The project envisages three types of caves: for 3 people (with an inner "courtyard-plaza"), for 2 people (with an inner street), for 1 person (with an inner alley). Each of them fulfils a different function in relation to the entrance group. Next, the guest undergoes an "ascent". He ascends the staircases of the inner cave where he sees the underside of the living cells. In the finale, he finds himself on the highest point of the mountain - the roof. It is a verdant meadow and general social canvas. Due to the unusually located entrance on the roof, a stranger visitor will not be able to enter without a clue from the owner. It will also be difficult to navigate as the usual hierarchy of floors is broken. The public part of the house is located on the first floor, while the private area goes to the ground floor. In a shifter house, the terrace will be located on the roof and is essentially a front lawn. The house represents a secret world to be explored. In designing the block houses, the main goal was to create a space that acts as a catalyst for the birth of new vectors for the flow of life. In the design of the houses, there are many outdoor spaces that allow for gardening, growing a vegetable garden. The flat roof acts as a common space for interactions. The different levels of each module contribute to visual delineation to allocate spaces for different functions. Thus, the main idea of the house holds on the idea of escapism. The objective is to create a home environment that breaks the routine of the day by immersing the resident in an interesting environment.

Project description

The volume-planning solution of the building consists in the creation of spatial grottos, the purpose of which is to break the traditional hierarchy of floors and functions of the house. The basic form of each cell is a modular configuration with offsets, forming islands-terraces for different functions: vegetable garden, garden, recreational area. The offsets also contribute to the inclusion of an internal outdoor space, developing the idea of a grotto. An equally important element of the moulding is the staircases. Thanks to the modular shifts, stairs are placed on each level, adding a pyramid-cave look to the modular configuration. Another feature is the reverse front courtyard (inner courtyard), which sets the direction of the stairs to the front entrance and roof terrace. The staircases serve as communicative links throughout the house complex, creating a connection between the outdoor spaces (roof terrace, rear and inner courtyards) and the private and public areas within the house.

Technical information

Roof with intensive landscaping, which allows to create a single green modern construction technologies and materials used on the site street with the connection of agro-cultural farms (vegetable gardens, gardens, flowerbeds). Panoramic glazing, which creates a smooth transition of the interior space to the exterior, there is a connection between the street and the house as a single site of interaction. Pyramidal light wells in the workshop rooms to maximise natural light in the work area for better concentration.

Documentation

Show PDF 1Show PDF 2

Copyright © 2024 INSPIRELI | All rights reserved. Use of this website signifies your agreement to the Terms of Use, Privacy Policy, and use of cookies.