At the edge of a dense New England woods once documented by Henry David Thoreau in his journals, the Woodslope House is set into a hillside that rises from wetland (habitat to the endangered Blanding’s turtle) to a developed neighborhood. A planted landscape gently mediates the transition from woodland to lawn while the home nestles into the slope at tree house height, set amongst oak, pine, and birch trunks, the canopies of which provide shade to the large southern windows. Simple shed roof forms follow the angles of tree branches and the natural slope of the land with north-facing transom windows and a leaf-dappled southern façade.
The homeowners sought a contemporary, secluded design – a modern day Thoreau’s cabin – that allowed them to work from home and live amongst nature. The home is designed to be barrier-free with the main living, sleeping, and working spaces on a single floor and facing out to the woods. Details were carefully selected and customized to address reduced grasp and grip due to both specific tendon concerns and to allow for gracefully aging in place.
A collaborative design approach, supported with BIM modeling and photo-realistic renderings, resulted in a cruciform floor plan with a north/south nave and east/west transept. The nave bisects the topography and allows accessible entry of both cars and pedestrians, support spaces lead to a kitchen at the crossing. The transept parallels the slope, maximizing the experience of standing at a metaphorical altar to nature from within all the main living spaces.
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