The eye goes directly in the green nature. High and large sliding windows all around. In front, trees, a small forest. The Sequoyah House is not located in an isolated large land but in a quite modest surface in the middle of a residential neighborhood.
Eliminating any separation between the inside and the outside was the immediate goal of this project. “I always wanted to live in the forest” said the owner. So decades ago he planted majestic sequoias and redwoods in the garden that belongs to the family since the early 20th Century. The Sequoia House has been carefully placed in the land to avoid harming any of them.
The land has a light west to east slope. With the same angle but upwards the green grassed roof goes up. Underneath, three volumes are created.
The first volume is exclusively dedicated to the private area, with three bedrooms and two bathrooms.
The second volume is 80 centimeters below the first, with a 45 degrees angle and 4 meters high sliding windows at its highest point. This volume encompasses the living room, the kitchen, the office and the entrance.
The third volume is invisible from the outside: the basement encompasses the large bookshelves, the home cinema, service rooms, and a tropical garden. The latter is illuminated from 8 meters above by a 5 meter long, 4 meter wide horizontal skylight, which also sheds light to the second volume since it is totally open.
Totally open on the east, south and west façades, the north side is in comparison totally closed, except for the entrance. The windows are all triple layered and the heavy isolation ensures a fresh temperature in the summer and warmth in the winter. The house is powered by a heat pump and solar panels.
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