Located in the Kyiv region, SHELL House is conceived as architecture with a defensive intelligence. Designed by Bezmirno Architects, as a protective structure, the house shields the family’s inner life from the city’s noise and visual pressure, operating much like its namesake: solid and restrained on the outside, calm and finely tuned within. From the street, the building presents a closed, almost monolithic volume formed in long-format brick, projecting reliability and distance. Inside, that severity dissolves into light, tactility, and spatial ease.
HOUSING
The project is driven by a clear conceptual contradiction defined by the architects as “transparent privacy.” Rather than addressing the street, the house turns inward, organizing daily life around a private patio. Large glazed openings face this internal courtyard instead of the surrounding neighborhood, allowing daylight and nature to permeate the interior while maintaining full seclusion. In this arrangement, openness does not compromise security; instead, it becomes carefully controlled and purposeful.
Spatial continuity plays a central role in reinforcing this idea. Barrier-free transitions between zones and a minimal use of doors create a fluid internal sequence. Movement through the house feels uninterrupted, with visual connections extending across spaces and toward the courtyard. Nature becomes a constant presence, not as scenery, but as an integral architectural component.
One of the project’s main challenges lay in balancing monumentality with domestic comfort. The use of brick and stone establishes weight and permanence, yet the interior needed to remain inviting and intimate. This tension is resolved through calibrated glazing, thoughtful proportions, and a nuanced lighting strategy. Natural light accompanies occupants throughout the day, revealing material textures rather than flattening them, while circulation spaces are treated as inhabitable environments rather than leftover zones.
The architectural composition centers on a living tree planted within the patio, which acts as the emotional and spatial core of the house. This gesture anchors the interior to nature and allows the architects to open the living spaces as fully as possible without exposing them to the outside world. On the ground floor, the kitchen, dining, and living areas merge into a single open zone. Instead of partitions, zoning is defined by furniture placement, ceiling heights, and lighting rhythms.
Transit spaces receive equal attention. A corridor opposite the staircase is punctuated by a large window overlooking the patio, transforming what could have been a purely functional passage into a light-filled gallery. This moment introduces pause and contemplation into everyday movement, reinforcing the house’s inward-looking character.
Privacy is fully articulated on the second floor, which is dedicated entirely to the owners’ personal quarters. The master bedroom is softly illuminated throughout the day, while the adjoining bathroom is positioned beside a panoramic window, offering views of the surrounding forest without visual exposure. Silence and retreat define this level, completing the spatial hierarchy established below.
Material choices are restrained but carefully layered to avoid the sterility often associated with minimal architecture. Long-format brick is used both externally and selectively inside, introducing rhythm and a tactile surface that interacts with shifting light and shadow. Natural wood appears in wall cladding and furniture, counterbalancing the density of masonry with warmth and sensory presence. Large sliding glass systems dissolve boundaries between interior and patio, reinforcing the house’s internal openness.
Developed by Bezmirno, SHELL House articulates a clear architectural stance. Minimalism here does not rely on visual austerity, but on precision, atmosphere, and control. The project frames the home as a place for recovery and introspection, where architecture filters the outside world instead of merely separating from it. Through its inward focus and material clarity, SHELL House offers a model of domestic architecture that values quietness, protection, and internal coherence over outward display.
