Inverted House / Okrokana, Tbilisi
This single-family residence in Okrokana reinterprets the fence-dominated suburban fabric of Tbilisi through an inward-looking typology, transforming the house itself into a protective perimeter that generates light, privacy, and spatial generosity from within.
Located in a hillside residential area on the outskirts of the city, the site is part of a neighborhood characterized by narrow streets, small plots, and tall perimeter fences. Although Okrokana is considered a prestigious district due to its elevated position above Tbilisi, its spatial reality is often defined by enclosure rather than openness. The plot was surrounded on three sides by neighboring walls and bordered by the street on the fourth, resulting in a complete lack of outward views and limited daylight access.
Inner Courtyard
Rather than attempting to open the house toward its constrained surroundings, the project approached these conditions as an opportunity to propose an alternative residential model. The house was conceived as an “inverted house,” a typology that reverses the conventional relationship between dwelling and enclosure. Instead of placing the building behind a fence, the architecture itself becomes the perimeter. The house wraps around the site, enclosing it and directing all primary spaces inward.
The main living spaces—entrance hall, living room, and kitchen—are oriented toward the inner courtyard, transforming it into an open-air central hall. A suspended swimming pool spans across this void, creating a covered outdoor space below while visually connecting the upper levels. Sectionally, the building rises to three floors at the rear and appears as a single-story volume toward the street. This variation allows for a double-height living area and the insertion of intermediate half-levels, generating a gradual and fluid spatial sequence.
Interior
Finished entirely in white, the interior spaces rely on light, proportion, and spatial relationships as their primary means of expression. This deliberate reduction amplifies clarity and calm, allowing the architecture itself to shape the atmosphere.
A suspended swimming pool spans across this void, creating a covered outdoor space below while visually connecting the upper levels.
Materiality reinforces the project’s inverted logic. The façade facing the street is clad in charred wood, a traditional technique historically used to protect timber from weathering. Here, it forms a dense and protective outer shell. Inside the courtyard, this dark envelope gives way to natural, untreated wood, introducing warmth, texture, and tactility. The interior spaces are finished entirely in white, allowing light, proportion, and spatial relationships to define the atmosphere. This gradual transition—from charred wood to natural timber to abstract white—creates a sequence of spatial dematerialization, emphasizing the movement from exterior to inner core.
