This unique concept by Sergey Makhno Architects is a 2,280 square metre luxury bunker, which lies buried beneath the Earth’s surface at a depth of 15 metres and below. Outside, the sweeping concrete entranceway of Plan B looks like some sort of a futuristic gallery for art. Inside, the underground home resembles a spacecraft, housing all essential equipment required for long-term isolation. Mysterious low-lit curving corridors lead to indoor gardens and grow rooms. The self-sufficient home has a layer of electrical equipment and a generator, its own well, a water treatment system, and a closed ventilation system. Whatever happens up on the surface, life down here will go on.
“If you don’t listen to the world with an open heart and mind, if you don’t pay attention to what’s going on around you, what the air smells like, what people say, the world starts dictating its cruel, cruel rules,” says the founder and creative leader of Ukrainian studio, Serhii Makhno.
The architectural team set out to create a form that speaks of reliability. The brutalist exterior gives entry from both ground-level and from the air, thanks to a helipad on the roof.
There is a disinfection shield directly next to the main entrance of the bunker. Its doors are automatic with the option of manual control.
The inner spaces of the bunker are as empty as possible. “Modern people are too accustomed to freedom and lack of restrictions. Life in a bunker, even a very comfortable one, is life within frames. We tried to design the space so that people could feel them minimally, ” reflects architect Ihor Havrylenko, a co-author of the project. Peaceful decor means that there is little to become bored by over a long stint behind these walls. A skylight creates a connect with the outside world.
A large library feeds the minds of the inhabitants, whilst an indoor garden feeds the soul.
The team are currently experimenting with an illusion that emulates life on the surface, putting reassuring blue skies at windows.
The project is aimed at comfortably accommodating two or three families with children, plus staff and their families. The project can be reconfigured for larger numbers but at present features two enviable master bedrooms. Mind-bending bedroom decor skews the sense of space and boundaries. Master bedroom ‘Mickey’ has a stone garden with an open fireplace, and a screen-window view that can be changed with the Smart Home system. You can even “open” the window to feel a breeze or smell freshly cut grass.
There is a lack of sharp angles in the almost cylindrical room, which toys with the illusion of infinity so that the walls begin to melt away.
Serhii Makhno KHMARA clouds float weightlessly above the bed.
A Kaws sculpture stands alert in the shadows, like a silent guard.
Master suite “Ivy” is a minimalist bedroom with several levels of light. The ceiling design is cut away and installed with an LED-system to give the impression of a skylight, and a reassuring link with the outdoors.
Weightless partitions suggest there is more to be found behind them, leading on into infinity.
Ivy tumbles down curved walls, happily flourishing without natural sunlight. A floor reading lamp and comfortable reading chair look upon the fall of foliage.
The bedrooms each consist of a sleeping area, storage area, and an ensuite bathroom.
Stainless steel has been employed as a concise, practical, divider for the wardrobe and shower room.
Faux daylight sends a “sunbeam” into the shower.
So that traditional family values are not forgotten, a huge dining table ensures all inhabitants can gather together. A linear suspension light is dwarfed by the table’s length.
A vertical garden wraps the space in Earth’s natural beauty.
Deep comfortable couches furnish the living room/home cinema. A 5D system, powerful acoustics, and a collection of the world’s best movies immerse the audience. The screen also becomes an outdoor scene, a real picture of daylight as it should be on the surface so that biorhythms do not get lost.
Designer and co-author Oleksandr Makhno explains the kitchen: “We decided to make the kitchen professional — cooking can become a great new hobby. In any case, residents will be here quite often. And in general, I think that stainless steel for kitchen surfaces is a great solution not only for restaurants but also for living spaces.”
With this much culinary equipment you could skip washing the pots for a month!
Chrome Tetrapods bubble around the perimeter.
KHMARA clouds float across this underground sky too.
Integrated appliances merge into their dark housing.
Due attention was paid to areas for fitness and recovery; a healthy body is integral for a healthy future. A curving pool design sweeps around and joins with a well equipped gym.
A green glow skims the water’s surface, presenting the pool as a natural body of water rather than a man-made tank.
Brighter lighting and acoustics in the main gym set a level of concentration on achieving physical goals.
The pool area is separated from the general fitness zone by a screen, to preserve the specific atmosphere of each.
As well as the physical, the mind must also be taken care of. This thought is embodied in a cylindrical meditation room.
“We sought to create a space in which we would like to live, even when there is no apocalypse. Natural materials, the most preserved smells, textures, fibers,” comments an architect Maryna Hrechko.
The ceiling of the meditation room can become a bright dawn, a moonlit sky…
… Or even rainfall.
“This project is a release from emotions, a reflection on the continuation of human life under any circumstances, and an attempt to find an answer to the question of whether architecture can create the impression of life at the surface while being in its depths,” says up Serhii Makhno. Part of this answer had to include consideration for walking dogs, where they could paw and sniff at living wood, mossy stones and real grass.
The autonomous dwelling is designed for long periods of quarantine. Natural resources can be cultivated in a grow room with Phyto-equipment.
There is a large warehouse of food inside the house too.
There’s also a dedicated medical room with an isolator, and a closed area for stocking medicines.
The layout is a “technological pie”, featuring the living space at its core, a floor with the water treatment system and generator, a layer of electrical equipment, and the well at the very bottom. The huge bunker has three exits. The fire-resistant evacuation ring can be reached from just about any part of the home so that the inhabitants can get out quickly. The outer evacuation circle also offers a route for cycling and long walks.
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