Pool day? Drozdov & Partners invites you to take a dip

With summer practically knocking down the door, we’ve been doing our fair share of pool ogling of late. Admittedly, it’s become a bit of a problem. Our latest obsession? Drozdov & Partners SPF-worthy wunderkind of lap-swimming glory. You can practically smell the chlorine from here. Aptly titled, “Baked by the Heat,” for obvious reasons, the family home sits on a sprawling plot of land in Kharkiv, Ukraine.

Located amidst a chaotic, mixed-scale development, the dwelling offers a respite, secluded and insular in nature. “Open ‘summer rooms’ are extensions of indoor living premises, creating seamless united spaces, visually impenetrable from the neighbors,” the firm explains.

Organically situated within the neighborhood’s natural sloping typography, three terraces descend the landscape, united by a continuous, horizontal roof line. Drozdov & Partners expounds, “The sloping terrain causes the gradual increase of the volume, unfolding the entire narrative of the house: from the entrance and low minor premises on the street level to a spacious common living room.”

The core axis of the home is a central hallway that serves as the main vein, connecting all living areas. Linear, overhead skylights encourage natural light to stream into the interior confines, illuminating the central hallway. Designed to be fully adaptable to Kharkiv’s oftentimes unpredictable climate, it’s no coincidence the dwelling was completed on a sweltering day when the mercury hit 104˙F.

Someone pass the sunscreen. We’re ready for a dip.  

Photography courtesy of: Andrey Avdeenko