In a picturesque landscape of birches and linden trees, with its gentle slope terminating on a wide riverbank in the northwest, a complex of timber houses and structures is situated. The original client’s intention was to erect three single-story timber buildings for his family of five members and their guests. However, during the discussion with the client and the design process, the program was developed to include up to seven objects. The shape of the site logically dictates dividing it into two interconnected zones: the smaller entrance zone and the larger leafy major zone. The entrance zone is occupied by the guest house and the car shed. In the major zone, an ensemble of five structures oriented towards the river was designed: the main house, the pavilion, a sauna cabin, the tower on a pier, and the Rotunda folly.

The Main House is placed atop the site, facing the river with its floor-to-ceiling panoramic windows to benefit from evening sun. It is positioned within the site to emphasize the territory of a “cultivated garden” on the southern side and the territory of the “wild natural forest” running down to the river on the opposite side. The body of the house is shaped as two separated blocks (wings) covered with a single slightly curved pitched roof. These blocks are the children’s wing and the parents’ wing. Wide terrace platform stretching across the entire length of the building not only connects these two wings, but mediates between the private living space and the landscape. The central gap that separates the blocks is accented by an oculus in the roof and plays the role of a gate, a portal to the site’s scenic beauty.

Down the slope to the right, on the very edge of the riverbank, there is a pavilion for barbecues and other family events. One can step out onto a terrace and a pier using wide glazed folding doors. There is a circular platform floating above the water with a fire pit in the center, and a small sauna cabin nestles next to the pavilion.

The circular arc of the pier ends with a tower that hosts a small observation platform on top. This light wooden structure is intended to define the central axis of the ensemble, just like a keystone that locks the arch in its shape.