Project Description
A monolith of human proportion and warm, natural materials. The house is a place of refuge and repose, one that warmly envelopes its inhabitants and guests—the home’s 12-inch concrete walls providing a sense of safety and security.
At first glance, the two-story house reads as a modern fortress, but upon closer inspection this “fortress” is surrounded by a lush, colorful garden that mounds up to embrace the exterior walls making it seem as if the structure is rising from the earth. Spontaneous color and texture placed by hand within the concrete walls make the home warm and approachable. The entry canopy greets visitors at a height that is almost touchable as the sound of the indoor/outdoor water feature ushers visitors into an intimate foyer area. Human connectivity and scale were key to maintaining the idea of “refuge.”
At the entryway, a bamboo gutter diverts rainwater to the garden. The outdoor water feature flows into the house, bringing good energy to the home, arriving at a pond that bridges inside and outside. Live, petite pond fish and the presence and sound of water connects nature to the home itself, filled with organic, natural materials. The living room’s entire south- and west-facing window walls pleat open to provide a seamless indoor/outdoor experience.
