Envisioned to be a place of retreat, this home allows owners, friends, and business colleagues alike to immerse themselves into the natural beauty of the site. The building utilizes locally-acquired energy and materials to create an intimate relationship between occupant and environment. The local, volcanic stone, and the reclaimed, rhythmic Sinker Cypress that characterize the façade of the building unapologetically present the raw beauty of the natural materials, exhibiting the surrounding environment in the form of a new life.
Several reclaimed materials are used throughout the structure. Most notably, stone is found in several forms throughout the building, as a defining feature within the region of Arkansas. The owner, a former member of the Professional Golfer’s Association of America, was inspired by his experiences analyzing land through the lens of weather conditions and distance on golf courses around the world. Centuries-old stone walls he’d seen on Irish golf courses brought an influence of this durable and classic craft. The dry-stacked volcanic moss stone that characterizes the façade of the building was hand-harvested from the earth’s surface, following the tradition of ancient building techniques in crafting stone walls. Indigenous Hackett flagstone used as landscaping pavers, along with locally-harvested Wichita River gravel composing the road network, provide a direct psychological and physical connection to the outdoors through the experience of a stone promenade.
To further connect inhabitant with site, extensive energy studies were conducted during the design process to maximize the advantages of the site’s location. Located within proximity to natural hot springs, the unique opportunity to utilize geothermal energy presented itself. This form of energy harvesting came to have the largest impact on the building’s energy consumption. Additionally, natural daylight was utilized in each space deliberately, bringing into the interior the experience of the natural passage of time through every season, every day. Extensive daylight studies were conducted to allow in daylight delicately, taking the personal experience of each space into consideration, while preventing glare and excessive solar heat gain.