Women generally demonstrate much more developed empathy. We worry about many things, we are more affectionate and susceptible to being hurt. Our hearts are not covered with iron armour or wrapped in barbed wire. Our trust is often boundless, even without a clear, rational reason. We call Hope a „mother” of fools rather than a „father” for good reasons. Maternal care breaks through from hope, but so does blind, naive faith in general good and happy endings. And this naivety pushes us into the hands of fortune-tellers, numerology, cards or horoscopes.

The horoscope prophecies are no longer there to tell us what next month or week will bring, but to assure readers that everything will be okay even if there are some minor obstacles in the foreseeable future. Our need for such assurance can be catered for by a short paragraph on the back pages of women’s magazines, on fortune-teller websites and in apps, or even in text messages from your favourite, most trusted and reliable astrologer. However, we do not want to admit that we read fortunes, not to mention our belief in these concise predictions or warnings.

That’s because we’re not accustomed to showing weakness. Uncertainty – also about the future, can bore a hole in your stomach with a drill built with molecules of stress and instability. People have long been looking for care, a sign that they are not alone while handling the future and that they will be able to tame it. When in company, we usually prefer to ridicule belief in such superstitions. At least until we are faced with financial crises, love traps and life crossroads, and then we could use some tips and a pat on the back, reassuring us that in the end everything’s going to be alright.

As far as metaphysical matters are concerned, I undoubtedly adopt the warm role of a tragic heroine. My beliefs and views feature an avalanche of contradictions that I can’t get rid of, and whose constituents together form a rather explosive mix. For instance, I believe that everything depends on us. I like having impact on my own life, I enjoy acting so that everything goes as I plan it. It does not exclude karma, which is simply worth believing in. At least I think so. If more people believed in Karma, there would be more good in the world. It doesn’t matter whether people performing good deeds would like to receive some good in return, or if they acted selflessly. Maybe the threat of such a penal boomerang would stop bad intentions, stimulating fear.

I am also an incurable and naive romantic. I believe in destiny, because I choose to believe in it. However, sometimes I push the destiny itself to the wall, checking whether it’s going the right direction. And so, when I meet someone new, I sometimes check his possible nature by comparing the characteristics of his zodiac sign. Without second thoughts I click related links and thus „make sure” whether my partner suits me, whether our signs match, whether this relationship will develop quickly, or rather will require a lot of effort and patience. It may sound funny, but the temper of the other person is quite often dependent on the day he was born. And although horoscopes and all this
„fun” with any form of fortune-telling is quite incompatible with Church teachings, horoscopes are frequently read by women who visit the Church more than regularly.

So, should we be more sensible and stop trusting horoscope prophecies, hints and warnings? Not necessarily. It is not about entrusting your life and all life decisions to the hands of the heavens, invisible energies or cardboard rectangles. But it’s good to know that every force, even the most absurd one, is the force that is right and necessary if it is able to (re)build and strengthen our mind. According to the rule – if something looks stupid but it works, it means that it’s not stupid. Even if it works only by means of placebo effect.

Finally, should we be mad at ourselves that we are gullible and naive? Absolutely not. It’s all because enormous, immense sensitivity that sometimes emotionally afflicts us so much. Don’t let them tell you that today there is no room for tenderness. That there are only divisions, barricades, hatred and bullets. That what counts is brute force and fists, war and shouting. Kaur, a poet, feminist and artist from India, writes that if you are sensitive, you are powerful. And let’s stick to this.

White, beige and geometry are the first three terms that come to mind when we look at photos of this family house on the outskirts of Moscow. Ruetemple architectural studio transformed the development project completely, leaving only the external walls and freely influencing the layout of partition walls.

The common family space of the ground floor and the first floor is centred around the central staircase structure, which constitutes the vertical axis of the composition. As residents spend most of their time together, architects have opened the ground floor to create a spacious interior intended for rest, meals, work and play. The first floor was designated to accommodate three small but bright bedrooms.

These are just dry facts. But why do these interiors appeal to us so much? Because despite their simplicity, it is clear that it is a family home – bright, spacious and very interesting. An example of a magnificent idea are nets hanging on the upper floor, which secure the holes in the ceiling (which brighten the space of the ground floor), and on the other hand are used as hammocks, where you can jauntily throw yourself during play or just lie and read a book. We also like the consistency of using geometric motifs throughout the house. Take a look at the space of the ground floor, where even the lamp hanging over the table perfectly relates to the structure of the stairwell.

White and beige are the main colours that make up the house. White walls and wooden floors are an obvious combination. However, if we add to them birch and beech furniture integrated into the interior, wooden wall in the kitchen, granite tiles in the bathroom, differences between floors, unique staircase, vertical radiators of a loft nature, geometry and the aforementioned nets – we get a truly unique, family interior. The Mother MAG gives this project two thumbs up.

KOMENTARZ ARCHITEKTA

DAGMARA RAPIŃCZUK

Graduate of Architecture at Gdansk University of Technology and Interior Architecture at the Academy of Fine Arts in Gdansk. She gained experience in many Tri-City design offices. Currently she runs her own company called Pani Architekt. She loves beautiful interiors and interesting people. In her spare time, she is passionate about travelling and cooking.

Photo by Hanna Połczyńska

The house in Moscow demonstrates the purity of form. In my opinion this is the most important thing that architects wanted to emphasize and convey through this project. The space is very orderly, and its division is both clear and clean. The living area is located on the ground floor of the building, whereas the night time area is on the upper floor. These two areas are connected in two ways. First of all, through a very interesting staircase, which dominates the whole interior. Secondly, through nets hanging in the horizontal and oblique holes in the ceiling, which function
not only as protection, but also an interesting place for rest and relaxation.

Cohesion was achieved through consistent use of materials throughout the interior. You can’t go wrong with the combination of white, beige and gray. Ubiquitous geometry also adds to the experience of harmony. Sharp cuts were softened by the introduction of wood. Natural materials always lead to the feeling of warmth and cosiness.
The interior of the house is beautiful, however, in my opinion it’s a bit too sterile, rigid. The place where a family resides should be able to live, change and develop. In my opinion, closing this space in a geometric framework has obscured this changeability a bit, although I admit that in a very stylish way;) Yet, if I were to evaluate this project only in terms of design, it would get an A+!

While looking at interior photos, remember that they do not present the full picture, because they look different on a daily basis – toys scattered on the floor, shopping bags in the kitchen, sweaters hung on the chair after coming back from work. We won’t see any of this in the photos, and it also changes the reception of a given space.

Leading Architects: Alexander Kudimov, Daria Butahina
Location: Moscow, Russia
Year of Completion: 2017
Area: 160 m 2