On a Pedestal: 7 Buildings on Raised Plinths

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Architecture needs support. From the clients that drive a project’s development to the raw materials of its construction, all buildings require an explicit or implicit, immaterial or material foundation to realize itself. The plinth, a base or platform upon which a column, support, artifact or entire structure might rest, is one of the most essential elements of a building’s, and perhaps all architecture’s, composition. Indeed, the plinth along with the hearth, the roof and the wall have been said to be one of the four principle elements of the social development of architecture, according to Gottfried Semper’s 1851 book.

The plinth has certainly remained vital to architecture, as shown in the following collection of contemporary projects. These examples show how the plinth is able to serve as both the base from which the structure emerges and a visual demarcation between the ground or landscape and the figure of the building. While the plinth is not always a prominent feature at first glance, it becomes the pedestal on which the buildings take on a performative position of display.

New House at Walk Barn Farmby Charles Barclay Architect, Suffolk, United Kingdom

This black timber-clad weekend home in Suffolk, England, sits on a red-brick plinth in a windy plain. The glass glazing and concrete floors add cool modern finishes, while the plinth echoes vernacular farmhouses of the region.

Maison au Jeurs by Lacroix Chessex, Trient, Switzerland

This Swiss home was inspired by the ski chalets of the surrounding region, but introduces a volumetric division of space into the traditional typology. A stone mineral pedestal foundation projects out over an adjacent hillside that slides out from under and is topped by a dark wood veneer that grounds the structure in space.

Hoopers Island Residence by David Jameson Architect, Church Creek, Md., United States

Sited on an island in the Chesapeake Bay at a flood-prone elevation of just three feet above sea level, this private home was required by zoning to raise the home to three feet above the flood elevation. This was achieved with a ground concrete masonry plinth that echoes vernacular fishing shacks. The plinth allowed certain elements such as the swimming pool and outdoor shower to become distinct objects on their own.

Villa Abborrkroken i Överby by John Robert Nillson Arkitektkontor, Norway

This home on a rocky hillside overlooking a river in Norway sits on a limestone-covered concrete plinth foundation, which forms the uninterrupted base for both the exterior terraces and the interior living spaces. The entrance façade is a monolithic black mass punctuated by a single door frame, while the remaining sides feature glass glazing that is recessed into the limestone slab of the base.

Lake Hawea Courtyard House by Glamuzina Paterson Architects, Otago, New Zealand

The low-slung bunkered form of this private home recedes into the landscape as a protection against the elements, yet the recessed concrete plinth draws the eye towards the building’s connection with the ground and its position as an object within this rugged context.

Studio for a Composer by Johnsen Schmailing Architects, Burlington, Wis., United States

This small and simple structure is a rural studio retreat for a musician. A concrete storage plinth cut into a hillside acts as the structure’s base, while weathered steel shrouding clads the walls and two large window openings provide access on either side.

Sales and Management Office for “Sol de Rojales” Housing Development by Esculpire el Aire / José Ángel Ruis Cáceres, Rojales, Spain

The main white volume of this sales office is punctuated by chromatic bands of varied color that act as security shutters, while an access ramp of the entrance grants access to the space. The sunken concrete pedestal lifts this volume from the ground and highlights the office’s main entrance.

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