Rethinking life due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Sergey Makhno Architects has envisioned an innovative underground house concept built for enduring the “unpleasant surprises” that may await in the post-pandemic world.
“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 the Ukrainian design studio.
The concrete bunker is an autonomous residential space which can be situated at any location, at a depth of 15 meters or below, providing comfort and functionality.
From the outside, Plan B resembles the entrance to a museum of modern art, or even to a military base. We tried to create a simple and concise form, which in all its perspective would speak of reliability, but also be aesthetically attractive, it would not intimidate and lets you in from both the ground and from the air.
The massive concrete structure is equipped with three entrances and a helipad on the roof. It occupies only 172 square meters and can be placed either near the main house or, in our case, somewhere in the woods. According to international recommendations, the upper floor is at a depth of 15 metres. Penetrating deeper our “pie” has the following layers: a living space, a floor with a water treatment system and generator, a layer of electrical equipment, and at the very bottom — a well.
The Plan B bunker has three exits, and the fire-resistant evacuation “ring” can be reached from almost anywhere. This is done in case of the event of danger inside the bunker, its inhabitants do not spend time getting out (especially given the floor area), but can immediately get to the evacuation route, for example, from the bathroom or gym.
Of course, all systems in the Plan B underground building are autonomous. Water supply, sewerage, closed ventilation system with recuperation, intake, and air purification. Whatever happens on the Earth’s surface, life in Plan B will continue.
The main building mass is reinforced concrete, the strongest duo, and the optimal cost. The doors are automatic but have the option of manual control. Directly next to the entrance to the bunker, there is a disinfection shield, behind it — a quartz zone. The main spiral staircase and elevator lead to the underground building, as well as two flights of spiral staircases for staff and loading stocks — so the flows are distributed and do not interfere with each other.
