Split Level: Segmented Russian Rock Dwelling Bridges Lake & Cliff

lake front

Steep sites with limited buildable areas have always proved challenging for architects, but this home aims to navigate rocky terrain by breaking up a single dwelling into stair-connected segments.

lake rock residence

russian home above

Designed by Igor Sirotov, the PS1 House is a private residence to be built onto a series of stone lips that span from the lake’s surface below to access points above.

lake stone buildings

rrussian house detail

Weathered steel and concrete blend the buildings into the landscape while physically linking them via steps and railings as well.

russian interior spaces

The idea was driven in part by a desire to minimize the building’s footprint and need to alter the natural landscape, taking advantage of existing natural formations.

russian fireplace modernist brutalist

The design borrows from Modernist and Brutalist camps, austere but materially rich with aging in mind.

stone building segments

Steel frames and stone floors match the color and pattern palettes of surrounding site elements, providing semi-permeable shelters for bedrooms, kitchens and dining spaces at intervals between the top and bottom.