C-house

Cleveland, OH, United States

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C-house

Cleveland, OH, United States

Firm

Type

Residential › Private House

YEAR

2008

SIZE

3000 sqft - 5000 sqft

C-house is one of three urban villas comprising the Residences of
King’s Hill, a unique residential development located on Cleveland’s
near west side. Despite being situated within the urban context of the
Detroit Shoreway neighborhood, this “virgin” site is an idyllic enclave
within a park-like setting, adjacent to the site’s eastern and southern
boundaries. Uninterrupted views of Lake Erie, Cleveland’s downtown and
industrial flats, as well as the site’s proximity to a busy vehicular
thoroughfare reconnect the site to its urban environment.

The
architecture of the C-house capitalizes on the inherent contrasts
embedded in the site. Program is stacked giving all living spaces
access to dramatic views. This sectional strategy produces a cantilever
that not only creates formal intrigue, but provides shelter for
exterior space below. Fenestration is arranged opportunistically to
frame views. The resulting composition differs in opacity at each
elevation suggesting a varied outward disposition to its surroundings.Nested into the hillside, the monolithic form and white materiality
of the C-house are utilized to imbue the architecture with a sense of
otherness from the landscape. The massive nature of the C-house elicits
a substantive and billboard-like quality to the architecture, an
unexpected and iconic presence for commuters between Cleveland’s
downtown and western suburbs.2008 Honor Awards, American Institute of Architects, Cleveland Chapter