The Pipe House is a weekend get-away retreat by Butenko Vasiliy and Sergey Mahno located along the Black sea, just at the edge of the Crimean Mountains of the Ukraine. Planned as an oasis for rest and relaxation, the house has been divided into zones by opaque and translucent screens, allowing the user flexibility in shading the sun, creating privacy, and blocking off areas when entertaining guests. You can see the exposed track guides embedded in the floor as they define the different zones even while the screens remain open. Within each zoned cavity, there is a single light fixture serving that area- these fixtures collectively create a beautiful rhythm along the ceiling. The pure, simple white forms morphing out of the ceiling create a soft, liquid like form adorning the structure above.
Moving through this retro, yet space-like interior, we quickly begin to notice the consistency of detail throughout the home - there is a soft curve touching everything. Although the home feels like one big room, it is divided by a series of islands in which to experience the space through different types of entertainment and relaxation. The zones of this vacation retreat quickly invite you to experience every nook and cranny as the textured walls and sweeping curves guide you through the space. The solid concrete floor holds everything together as it literally "grounds" the furniture and architectural elements forming the space above. The color palette is heavy with dark browns and textural woods making this space the appropriate bachelor pad. The orange lounge seating provides a small accent of color against an otherwise monochromatic background.
There is a glowing bulge in the wall texture at the kitchen bar; this is another physical interpretation of this gentle curve sweeping all surfaces of this home. As your eye follows the wood textured walls around the room, there are multiple opportunities to catch a view to the exterior beyond. At moments, glimpses of light begin to seep through the wood slats, lightening the material as it brings in the natural daylight; views and colors that provide a sharp contrast to the warm interior finishes of the space. The floor plan layout successfully balances the curved furniture and wall screens against what would otherwise be a very rectilinear interior. There are no straight lines and there are no doors, they are hidden behind an intimacy of dancing curves and embedded textures that create an oasis of activity in a retro, yet modern weekend retreat.
