The Melnikov House was completed in 1929 by Konstantin Melnikov. Located in the suburbs of Moscow, Russia, his revolutionary constructivist was unprecedented due to the period and the oppressive communist place it was built in.

The house consists of two interlocking cylinders and was constructed using traditional materials and construction techniques. The service rooms (toilets, kitchens, store rooms etc) were located on the ground floor which could be avoided by the occupants or guests of the house upon entering the building. A flight of stairs takes you upto the double height living room which was spacious and well lit. The bedroom was located next to this and in here all the occupants slept without dividers between beds. Sleeping was a communal experience. Going up another flight of stairs you come into the studio space which also double height and very well lit. This room has an immediate connection to the outdoors through the entrance to the balcony.

I found the house to be very interesting visually and functionally. I liked how the rooms spread over multiple levels fitted into one another in a heirachy bound by the round exterior walls.

The model was difficult to make because of the cylindrical walls and having to come up with a neat way of forming them. In the end I decided to cut small slits into the foamboard which gave the board its curve. I then wrapped the board around a 'former' cut to the correct size and stuck a piece of paper around it to hold it in place. I also had difficulty working out where the 64 diamond windows were and trying cutting them out as neatly as possible. The major difficulty involved.

Unfortunately my essay skills were not as good and this let me down overall in the module. I will need to get better at structuring my essays and focusing on the real key points I want to make. 

Tags: essay, history, house and housing, model, research