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Located in Moscow’s Chekov District is this monolithic 3,230 sqft (300m/sq.) private residence made of reinforced concrete by NIKO|Arch, the architecture studio of Nikolaev Stanislav. Partially submerged underground, the home is beautifully decorated with Japanese inspired influences and interior decor by Dina Mezhevova.

NIKO|Arch Landscape House

The basis of the concept behind the NIKO|Arch Landscape House is to connect the interior space to the environment. To create a building that can serve both as a comfortable home and gallery that consists confluently with the hillside in which its partially submerged.

The house is a unique architectural object that emerges from the ground with curves of concrete and graceful geometry that reveal an inner pond and private courtyard. Engineering and tech are concealed within the sculptural concrete shell.

The frame of the building serves as a backdrop for the display of rare sculptures, Japanese-themed decorative elements, symbolic circle shapes, hanging chandeliers, and large panoramic curved-glass windows.

niko arch modern cuv — The pond in front of the house provides an additional dialogue between the interior space and the environment; nature flows into the interior. Cured, frameless glass windows prevent you from breaking the connection with the landscape.

aerial view of niko arch home — The internal space’s privacy is built into the buildings design plan, due to the protruding wings of the home and the organization of the terrace between them.

Solutions for the interior lighting were well-considered ahead of time. The planning and placement of the frameless glass windows and skylights are oriented toward the movement of the sun, providing the entire interior with natural light during the day, despite the fact that the house is predominantly buried underground.

skylights and sun direction IIHIH — The skylights are positioned to to follow the motion of the sun to provide the most indoor daylight possible

Inside, the living room is divided into three zones: a kitchen / dining area, a sunken living area with a fireplace and a small seating area for tea or coffee facing the interior courtyard zone.

interior design — The kitchen is separated from the main living area by a full-height pano with a circular opening (a reference to a classic symbol in Japanese culture), that allows for a visual connection to the living room.

The sunken living area has circular seating and, as the compositional core of the interior, symbolizes balance or what’s known as yin and yang.

Particular attention was paid to the lighting, designed to illuminate paintings and art objects, both inside and out, as well as architectural features of the interior.