Find High Architecture When Home Gently Meets Ground
How a home lies on a landscape says volumes about its architectural point of view
Houzz Contributor. I am an architect and writer living in New York City. I have Bachelor of Architecture and Master in Urban Planning degrees, and over ten years experience in architectural practice, split between Chicago and NYC. Currently I'm focused on writing and online pursuits. My daily blog can be found at http://archidose.blogspot.com
Houzz Contributor. I am an architect and writer living in New York City.... More »
How a building sits on the ground can determine much of its character, particularly if it is aggressive toward the landscape or subservient to it. For the former, a site may be leveled to build a foundation, while the latter will follow the landscape and have a minimal footprint.
As green building becomes more common, approaches to sitting lightly on the landscape, if you will, are also more common. What follows are examples that share reverential, and often dramatic, ways of meeting the ground.
As green building becomes more common, approaches to sitting lightly on the landscape, if you will, are also more common. What follows are examples that share reverential, and often dramatic, ways of meeting the ground.
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| This house by Charles Rose Architects certainly isn't dramatic in the way it meets the ground, but I'm struck by the way even the slightest slope is accounted for in the foundation and plan of the house. |
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| A closer view of the house shows the subtle stepping in the copper cladding, which follows the gentle slope of the land. |
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by Estudio MRGB
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| More dramatic is this house in Brazil by Estudio MRGB, which seems to stop at a steep slope and let part of the house extend beyond the foundation. Rather than being built on the slope, where erosion is a concern, the house appears to hold itself back. |
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by Estudio MRGB
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| A view from the side reveals that the house is built into a slope, merging itself with the landscape. |
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by Hufft Projects
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| This house by Hufft Projects orients itself toward prized views of a nearby lake, walling itself off from nearby neighbors. The house is also a split-level. Here we see it from the front, the top floor. |
by Hufft Projects
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This view hints at the way the house orients itself to the view: Cantilevered bays project past a wall that marks the house in the landscape.
by Hufft Projects
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The wall and cantilevers are clear in this view from the water. Of course the slope that creates the split-level condition is also apparent.
by Hufft Projects
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One last view of the house reveals the opening on the lowest floor, which provides access to the yard. The openness of this side of the house is remarkable, especially in comparison to the first photo presented here. From inside, the relationship to the landscape is one of floating above it, even as the house is strongly rooted to it through the walls on the lower level.
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| Reaching out toward the landscape as it falls away is a common theme here. The aptly named Lookout House by Ike Kligerman Barkley builds up a substantial stone base, but its roofline gives it a definite outward focus. |
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| The house is perched on a high point and follows the landscape, reminiscent of Frank Lloyd Wright's architecture. |
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| This last view illustrates the balance that is possible in two dramatic tactics: a rootedness to the earth and the flight implied in the roof form. |
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| The aptly named Napa Ledge House by WA Design sits on a dramatic, rocky landscape. The design responds to the context by varying the masses of the house; instead of a plan under one roofline, each room occupies its own volume, creating a jagged profile. |
A Cor-Ten steel volume anchors the house to the rocky surroundings.
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| On another side, the softer landscape is capped by stucco volumes that seem to spill down the slope. |
Comments
Autumn Barnum LOL. not a single home in this set of pictures inspires me. I findthem repulsive!! Guess I am not into "contemporary or modern!" You asked!
11 months ago · Like
Dana Veach The drama and scale of these mergers of land and man-made form are stunning, John. And even though I prefer a more modest and perhaps "old world" profile for my own personal dwelling space, I can still appreciate the beauty and drama of these...Thanks for the inspiration.
10 months ago · Like
Ideabook published on May 16, 2012.
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