Timeless architecture

If there is a single word summing up architect Aleksandra Fedorova’s style, that word is «timeless». In all her projects, Alexandra Fedorova and her team adopt an architectural approach aimed at creating a human-scale habitat in the form of spatial composition, where furniture and accessories can be added and replaced as needed but the essence of the space remains unchanged over the years. These timeless ambiences are designed using compositions of essential volumes and spaces, a perfect example of which can be found in a house near the Russian capital.
Born in Moscow, Alexandra Fedorova worked from 2000 to 2004 as a lead architect at the UB design workshop. She was subsequently employed as an architect at the State Unitary Enterprise’s MIIP «Mosprojekt 4», before setting up her own practice. Specialising in residential architecture, she now works in the field of interior design of both residential and public buildings, especially seaside houses and villas. She has won numerous prestigious Russian and international awards during her career, including Under the House Roof, the Architectural Award, Present of Future, Beautiful Houses, Pinwin, Interia Awards, Sustainable Architecture, European Property Awards Architecture, A Design Award, The American Architecture Award, ArchInnovation and many more.
The guiding principle behind her work is the creation of timeless architecture for both exteriors and interiors. A perfect example of this is the house we look at in this article, located in the Serebryaniy Bor region close to Moscow, a highly populated area immersed in the vegetation of a large natural park. It is a private residence called Copper Shell House, where the sense of timelessness emerges forcefully.
The landscape in which the house is located influenced the choice of both architectural structure and materials, especially for the façade cladding. The building itself was created from the juxtaposition of three different volumes, a large ground floor base and two smaller offset volumes stacked on top of it. On the lower volume, the building envelope is clad by large oxidised metal-effect ceramic slabs (Oxide collection Laminam slabs, Moro finish). On the upper level, the first box-like architectural volume is clad with rectangular slabs that replicate the veining of white and grey marble, while the second parallelepiped-shaped volume has an envelope reminiscent of metal scales.
Ceramic slabs were chosen for their eco-friendly qualities and exceptional durability. The environmental sustainability of Laminam ceramic surfaces with their composition of natural raw materials is a particularly important feature in a natural setting like the one surrounding the house, while the material’s high resistance to external stresses, UV radiation and temperature changes make it ideal for use in construction. In the interior, the architect again wanted to inject movement into the spaces by using materials and colours in a harmonious combination that would blur the distinction between exterior and interior. The Oxide — Moro finish was also used on the interior walls along the staircase and in the swimming pool area. In the living area and in the kitchen, the floors and walls are clad with I Naturali — Pietra di Savoia Grigia Bocciardata tiles (also used on the outside gate). Fokos — Rock covers the horizontal and vertical surfaces of the kitchen island with its built-in sink. Finally, the I Naturali — Bianco Statuario Venato Lucidato finish is used for the countertop to add a further touch of exclusivity to the entire room.