Barrel Vault House
The Barrel Vault House sits on 10 acres of rolling grassland dotted with pinon pine and juniper. There are sublime views of the Galisteo Plain and Ortiz Mountains to the southwest and of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains to the north. The client wanted high ceilings in some areas and a slightly elevated floor level to improve the views. The house has two parallel barrel vault roofs of equal radius. The longer barrel vault covers both the living/dining room and the master bedroom. The shorter vault covers the study and an attic space over the guest bath. The barrel vault roofs and ceilings provide a clean contemporary look while giving the feeling of tranquility and shelter of a Spanish Colonial monastery.
The barrel vaults are covered in dull gray bonderized steel with flat seams. This dark, neutral color makes the house less visible in the landscape. The end walls of the vaults are stuccoed in a gray color to match the bonderized steel, emphasizing the solid geometric form of the vaults and distinguishing them from the house walls. The vaults are set back from the outside walls behind continuous parapets, further highlighting the distinction between the vaults and the house walls.
The client is a music producer with acute acoustical sensitivity. The ceilings of the vaults are covered with clear hemlock boards with gaps exposing acoustical insulation for sound absorption. The walls are 14” thick reinforced masonry made of recycled Styrofoam and cement. The interior plaster is primarily unpainted gypsum in a natural beige color, with off-white lime plaster in the master bedroom and gray-tinted gypsum plaster in the study.
The courtyard off the study is an outdoor room that acts as a foil to the vastness of the landscape that surrounds the house. From the patio are stairs to the roof deck that provides a panoramic view to the south and west. The long northeast portal links the garage to the house while serving as a major outdoor living space. The terrace to the southeast will have high-branching deciduous trees to provide shade in the summer.
The barrel vaults are covered in dull gray bonderized steel with flat seams. This dark, neutral color makes the house less visible in the landscape. The end walls of the vaults are stuccoed in a gray color to match the bonderized steel, emphasizing the solid geometric form of the vaults and distinguishing them from the house walls. The vaults are set back from the outside walls behind continuous parapets, further highlighting the distinction between the vaults and the house walls.
The client is a music producer with acute acoustical sensitivity. The ceilings of the vaults are covered with clear hemlock boards with gaps exposing acoustical insulation for sound absorption. The walls are 14” thick reinforced masonry made of recycled Styrofoam and cement. The interior plaster is primarily unpainted gypsum in a natural beige color, with off-white lime plaster in the master bedroom and gray-tinted gypsum plaster in the study.
The courtyard off the study is an outdoor room that acts as a foil to the vastness of the landscape that surrounds the house. From the patio are stairs to the roof deck that provides a panoramic view to the south and west. The long northeast portal links the garage to the house while serving as a major outdoor living space. The terrace to the southeast will have high-branching deciduous trees to provide shade in the summer.
Project Year: Pre-2005
