This house came to take on a distinct personality in our studio. In retrospect, this seems inevitable. As a psychotherapist, the client provided rich feedback and deep insights into who they were. To begin the design process, we culled our long design conversations into rich word-clouds that we edited and paired down for simplicity.
Fittingly, the building came to us with these words of possibility:
We wanted to create something minimal and unhurried, something quiet and austere. We wanted to create a peaceful enclave that did not call attention to itself, but it was assertive in its presence when it did.
The architectural explorations that followed became embodiments of this tension - we were seeking a spatial organization, a formal approach, and a choice of materials that was - quiet but assertive.
Folding planes of a dark slate that sidestepped the distinction between roof and wall grew into the home's exterior. It was quite but austere — This approach was inspired by how origami precisely folds two-dimensional paper to create three-dimensional space. Except here, the slate shingle demands more rigor and precision than paper to achieve a certain crispness we were after. So when the slate walls meet the slate roof, the crease illuminates the simplicity and strength of the building material. The sharpness of that connection is reiterated in multiple moments of clarity throughout the project.
The siting and spatial organization privilege privacy while engaging the occupant with vibrant interior vignettes. Sightlines mediated by windows, doors, and the overlay of interior and exterior materials offer moments of surprising encounter between inside and outside, from the long windowed gallery wall to the procession of the public to private spaces, to the living and dining rooms, and the library, which allows the clients a moment of retreat and restoration. Large walls of windows in the more public spaces draw in the daylight, while the same maneuver creates a rich connection between inside and outside in the primary bedroom. High ceilings throughout the single-story space create a feeling of luxurious depth, a luxury heightened by the sophisticated material finishes and palettes. In contrast, the back of the house, overlooking a body of water, combines roof overhangs with a patio to create a sense of simultaneous openness, enclosure, prospect, and refuge.
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