Grace and Unity

Villa “Grace”, designed by Roman Leonidov’s studio and built in the Moscow suburbs, strikes a balance between elegant minimalism and the expansive gestures of the Russian soul. The main house is conceived as a sequence of four self-contained volumes – each could exist independently, yet it chooses to be part of a whole. Unity is achieved through color and a system of shared spaces, while the rich plasticity of the forms – refined throughout the construction process – compensates for the near-total absence of decorative elements.

Written by:
Alyona Kuznetsova
Translated by:
Anton Mizonov

04 April 2025

Object

Architect:

Firm:

Studio of Roman Leonidov http://www.leonidov.com

Villa “Grace” is located in one of the older dacha settlements outside Moscow, surrounded by towering pine trees that create the feeling of a true forest. The architects themselves prefer to call it an estate rather than a villa – after all, it’s a complex of buildings embedded in the landscape, offering its residents a distinct lifestyle, different from both urban and countryside living. It’s a way of life that implies a closer connection to nature and the changing of the seasons, a degree of autonomy and freedom for each family member, and at the same time – a deeper sense of togetherness. And of course, comfort on every level, both domestic and professional.

zooming — VILLA GRACE. View of the entrance area and the master′s bedroom (from the depth of the plot)

Copyright: Photo © Roman Leonidov / provided by Roman Leonidov Architectural Studio

At first glance, the site seems fairly large – around 5,000 square meters. Early plans envisioned building the new house on the footprint of the old one, but it quickly became clear that this would not provide enough space for all the scenarios the owners hoped to realize. For instance, the current house includes a separate professional kitchen made entirely of stainless steel, as the owner not only knows how to catch fish but also how to clean and cook it. The generous proportions of the house also reflect Roman Leonidov’s “signature” approach – the architect doesn’t aim for compactness but rather for breadth and a certain grandeur that conveys abundance and sufficiency.

As a result, the final volume of all the buildings occupies about half the site. During the construction process, as the outlines of the space became clearer, the client requested a few changes to be made. For example, a glazed terrace was added to the south side, and a separate bathhouse complex was ultimately replaced with a children’s playground, with the bath functions moved to the basement.

The building line gravitates toward the southwestern edge of the site, following its curve. With this layout, the panoramic windows of the shared spaces and bedrooms face the preserved section of pine forest. Yet the “backyard” area between the fence and the more subdued rear façade remains equally rich and functional. Because of its “linearity”, the house reveals itself gradually. At the entrance to the site, there is a cluster of utility buildings: a garage, a covered parking area, and a wing for staff accommodation combined with a storage of small equipment. Compositionally, these volumes flank the courtyard, making it feel more sheltered and inviting.

Coming up next is the main house. One could say it consists of four separate but interconnected villas. All of these volumes have pitched roofs with varying slopes and a distinctly expressive form. Each functional unit is easily recognizable from the outside. The southern side of the house is flatter, while the “front” façade is extended with terraces, balconies, and verandas, giving it a lively and sculptural appearance.

The combination of volumes of differing heights and configurations is already a strong and self-sufficient gesture, so the architects refrained from adding any decoration and aimed to eliminate all visual “noise”. Downspouts, for example, are built into the walls. The exterior surfaces feature only plaster and limestone, the latter’s ribbed texture helping to distinguish one volume from another. A small amount of wood was also introduced: a contrasting white pergola makes the silhouette of the building easily legible.

The first of the “villas” is the parents’ quarters. On the ground floor, there is a study and a guest room; upstairs, there is the master bedroom, which opens onto a large terrace and includes all the pleasures of life: a spacious walk-in closet and a bathroom with a window. The basement level, in addition to auxiliary and technical rooms, contains a wine cellar, a gym, and a spa area with a sauna and hammam.

At the point where the house bends, the architects placed a “hinge” – a linking element that connects the floors, as well as private and public areas. Further on, a storage room fits neatly beneath the spiral staircase.

The second villa is a double-height living room with access to a veranda. A small portion of the upper level contains a kitchenette and a gallery that connects the master bedroom with the library – a fairly secluded and quiet space, set apart from the main circulation routes. The third villa is the kitchen and dining area, which opens onto a glazed veranda. In silhouette, this is the lowest of the blocks – there’s no second floor or double-height space here.

Finally, in the area farthest from the road and entrance lies the fourth villa: a two-level children’s wing. On the ground floor, there are two bedrooms and a playroom; the mezzanine level features a sports and play space with a net-hammock suspended over the staircase. The children’s quarters have a separate entrance from outside.

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VILLA GRACE. Plan of the 1st floor

Copyright © Roman Leonidov Architectural Studio
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VILLA GRACE. Plan of the 2nd floor

Copyright © Roman Leonidov Architectural Studio
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VILLA GRACE. The basement plan

Copyright © Roman Leonidov Architectural Studio

One of the main challenges that Roman Leonidov has tackled in this and many of his other projects is the task of softening the boundary between indoor and outdoor spaces. To this end, many of the rooms have not only panoramic windows that frame the best views, but also windows facing two directions – this creates transparency, a sense of air and shifting light, with the gaze continually drawn to the sky or the treetops. Interior designers Olga Budennaya and Svetlana Fiantseva made sure this focus remained on the views rather than the finishes.

VILLA GRACE Copyright: Photo © Roman Leonidov / provided by Roman Leonidov Architectural Studio

The role of the landscaping was to link the architecture with its natural surroundings. On the front side of the house, lush hydrangea bushes and alpine plantings frame the building, while the southern part replicates a forest-like ecosystem reminiscent of wild blueberry and lingonberry thickets. A U-shaped arch, now functioning as a small architectural element, was originally part of a glazed pergola that was never built. At one point during construction, there were plans to remove the arch as well, but over time it became so integrated into the landscape and so effectively tied together different zones that it was ultimately left in place.

Thanks to the “military discipline” of the construction team, building the house only took five years. As always, the architectural company documented every step of the process in detail: you can find an overview by Roman Leonidov himself, a deep dive into the engineering solutions, and a dedicated video on the interior design choices.

Architect:

Firm:

Studio of Roman Leonidov http://www.leonidov.com

04 April 2025

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Grace and Unity

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