The Falcon Ledge Residence provides a model for innovative building sequencing that allowed a home to be built on a property long written off as an impossible site for residential development. A platform was first erected adjacent to the street, from which the home construction could be staged. This later became the garage and bridge, which would eventually connect to a tall, taught house, organized upside down, with the main living spaces on the top floor, and the private spaces below. The form of the building was in many ways determined by the logic of its construction and sequencing, and the result is an unexpected tower rising above the tree canopy.
Surrounded by suburban developments, the residence is located in a neglected ravine. The site was initially overlooked because the property falls off precipitously directly from the street’s curb, and was consequently purchased for a very modest sum. However, the existing natural environment and conventionally difficult terrain are here viewed as the primary context in which the spaces that support family life are immersed. The home offers a secluded retreat, allowing its residents to fully embrace their natural surroundings, while still enjoying nearby suburban amenities.
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