Dezeen Magazine

House in the Landscape by Niko Architect

House in Russia hidden beneath artificial green hill

Russian studio Niko Architect has sunk a Teletubby-style house underneath an artificial hill punctuated by conical skylights that pop out of its planted roof.

Called House in the Landscape, the three-bedroom home near Moscow is hidden under lawn-covered hummocks.

The funky green roof is reminiscent of the green domed house was the house of the Teletubbies, a popular British children's television show.

House in the Landscape by Niko Architect

Towards the north it opens out with glazed walls that wrap around a courtyard overlooking a pond.

Contrasting the green landscape, the flowing walls of the home are finished by Niko Architect in smooth white render.

House in the Landscape by Niko Architect

Winding paths and staircases on either side follow the contours of the hill to provide.

They lead to a large, curved concrete front door.

House in the Landscape by Niko Architect

House in the Landscape's roughly U-shaped plan is organised according to the movement of the sun throughout the day.

Light enters through the skylights above the living areas in the morning, and from those above the bedrooms in the evening.

House in the Landscape by Niko Architect

Glass walls look out over the courtyards.

The large living, dining and kitchen area is finished with a cave-like roof that follows the shape of the hill above.

House in the Landscape by Niko Architect
Photo is by Sergey Ananiev

In the living area, a sunken circular seating area sits underneath a large skylight surrounding a ceiling-mounted log burner.

A curved wooden partition separates it from the dining area.

House in the Landscape by Niko Architect
Photo is by Sergey Ananiev

An open corridor leads to the western wing, where the master bedroom is given privacy by the deep window reveals and a screen of wooden slats.

A sculptural white staircase leads up to the first floor.

House in the Landscape by Niko Architect
Photo is by Sergey Ananiev

This upper storey houses two additional bedroom and opens onto a terrace overlooking the pond to the north.

A section of wall curves around to create a roof to shelter the terrace.

House in the Landscape by Niko Architect
Photo is by Sergey Ananiev

The courtyard, arranged around a central sculpture, is finished with raised wooden path that leads to a wooden platform overlooking the pond.

House in the Landscape by Niko Architect
Photo is by Sergey Ananiev

The interiors frame various pieces of artwork, furniture and sculptures which provide focal points for the open rooms.

Others homes hidden under green hills include Aires Mateus' house dug into a hillside in Portugal, and Tonkin Liu's Sun Rain Rooms, an extension covered by a curving green roof punctured by skylights.

Photography is by Vasiliy Khurtin unless stated.


Project credits:

Architect in charge: Nikolaev Stanislav, Kulich D, Nikolaev S, Salov A, Oseckaya T, Kulich D
Interiors design: Nikolaev S, Klimov D
Landscape: Ecopochva, Petelin Alexey, Suhova Olga

More images and plans

House in the Landscape by Niko Architect
Ground floor plan
House in the Landscape by Niko Architect
First floor plan
House in the Landscape by Niko Architect
Photo is by Sergey Ananiev
House in the Landscape by Niko Architect
House in the Landscape by Niko Architect
House in the Landscape by Niko Architect