Located in the Leningrad Region near the Gulf of Finland, Delo House 3 + Outbuilding is a refined exercise in modular architecture, spatial clarity, and material discipline. Designed by architect Arseny Brodach and the multidisciplinary Delo Studio, the project presents a rigorous interpretation of prefabricated domesticity, where design intent, material strategy, and interior integration coalesce into a singular architectural language.
Delo House 3 Technical Information
- Architects1-4: Delo Studio
- Location: Leningrad Region, Russia
- Gross Area: 240 m2 | 2,580 Sq. Ft.
- Completion Year: 2023
- Photographs: © Arseny Brodach, Varvara Toplennikova
Our goal was to create a complete and coherent architectural system, from structure to furniture, where every element is designed, fabricated, and assembled with precision, responsibility, and material integrity.
– Arseny Brodach
Delo House 3 Photographs
Design Intent and Site-Specific Strategy
The architectural proposition of Delo House 3 emerges from a synthesis of site responsiveness and prefabricated logic. As part of the studio’s Delo House series, this iteration extends the system’s typological flexibility by coupling the primary residence with a detached outbuilding. The ensemble is sited on a gentle rise overlooking a pine grove and distant water, taking full advantage of its natural setting.
Organized along a linear axis, the main residence orients its core functions, bedrooms, kitchen, and living spaces, toward the landscape, maximizing daylight and openness. The outbuilding, which includes a dining area with a traditional wood stove and an auxiliary bathroom, functions as both a spatial counterpoint and a cultural nod to vernacular domestic practices. A continuous larch terrace bridges the two volumes, enclosing a patio intended for future cultivation with fruit-bearing vegetation. This connective element not only facilitates circulation but also establishes an interstitial space that foregrounds the landscape and domestic life.
Spatial Organization and Experiential Qualities
The spatial organization adheres to a disciplined logic of alignment, material rhythm, and calibrated transitions. Despite the compact footprint, the interior layout achieves a perceptible generosity through its restrained planning and clear circulation. The threshold between the interior and exterior is carefully modulated, particularly through the use of recessed entries and shaded connections.
The relationship between the main house and the annex avoids a hierarchical structure. Instead, each volume is treated as a complete architectural statement, unified through proportion, materiality, and tectonic detail. The larch terrace serves as both a buffer and a bridge, creating a semi-enclosed condition that enables year-round adaptability. In colder months, the proximity and enclosure offer shelter, while in milder seasons, the space becomes a threshold for outdoor living.
Interior spaces maintain a sense of openness while still preserving privacy. Glazing is strategically placed to balance transparency with thermal performance, and the use of laminated safety film on the windows allows for resilience without sacrificing clarity. The project reads as a composition of volumes and voids, informed as much by environmental conditions as by functional needs.
Construction Logic and Material Expression
At the core of the project is a prefabricated timber-frame system developed by Delo Studio. The system emphasizes standardization, modular assembly, and waste reduction. By relying on standard material dimensions and pre-engineered components, the project minimizes on-site intervention while preserving a high degree of customization.
Both buildings rest on reinforced concrete slab foundations equipped with hydronic radiant floor heating, ensuring consistent thermal comfort. The walls and ceilings are insulated and paired with an integrated climate control system that maintains indoor air quality without relying on intrusive mechanical solutions. This performance-driven envelope aligns with contemporary ecological expectations, yet does so with material modesty and formal restraint.
The façade is clad in custom-milled cedar planks produced specifically for the Delo House series. The cedar, with its warm tone and visible grain, evokes the tactility of traditional Russian wooden architecture while asserting a clean and contemporary silhouette. Tonal variations in the wood grain create a subtle animation across the surface, emphasizing natural aging as a design feature rather than a defect. Every detail, from joint lines to shadow reveals, exhibits precision in fabrication and clarity in assembly.
Furniture Integration and Broader Design Ethos
Delo House 3 advances a holistic architectural model, wherein the building and its furnishings are conceived as part of the same design continuum. The interior is populated exclusively with custom-designed pieces from the studio’s own furniture collection. Built-in elements such as wardrobes, kitchen systems, and storage modules are not afterthoughts but intrinsic components of the architectural composition. This integrative approach eliminates the boundary between structure and furniture, enabling a seamless spatial and material logic.
Each object adheres to the studio’s language of honest materials, modular assembly, and reductive form. A notable example is the set of dining chairs located in the annex, developed in collaboration with Studio Eburet. These chairs feature 3D-printed seats made from recycled plastic, embedding sustainability and digital fabrication issues within the domestic realm. This gesture expands the architectural agenda beyond construction, positioning the home as a platform for experimental and ethical design practices.
Delo House 3 Plans
Delo House 3 Image Gallery
About Delo Studio
Delo Studio is a multidisciplinary design practice based in Saint Petersburg, founded by architect Arseny Brodach. The studio operates across architecture, furniture, and product design, with a focus on modular systems, material integrity, and responsible production. Known for its Delo House series of prefabricated timber-frame homes, the studio blends Soviet constructivist influences with contemporary design strategies to create integrated environments that prioritize craftsmanship, sustainability, and formal clarity.
Credits and Additional Notes
- Design Studio: Delo Studio (Saint Petersburg, Russia)
- Lead Architect: Arseny Brodach
- Furniture & Objects: Delo (in-house collection)
- Collaborators: Studio Eburet (3D-printed dining chairs)
