House for Reflection

Contemporary Japanese Courtyard House

Integrity and simplicity

Reposing placidly behind a screen of stone and bamboo, this house takes its cue from Japanese residential architecture. To this end, House For Reflection is a study in creating spaces that embody a quiet integrity and simplicity. The material palette is subdued but powerful, contrasting stacked slab stone with vertical wood slats treated with the Shou Sugi Ban technique of preserving wood through charring.

NATURAL CONNECTION

The enclosed courtyard is the heart of the house and is a place for tranquil reflection; it was designed to be experienced with all senses — through sight, hearing, touch, smell, and taste. It is an area to be inspired from in the morning and a place to wind down in the evening. It's proximity to the main living areas draws its calming influence inside. Contrasting this static volume is the linear pool deck which directs one’s view out beyond the river toward the horizon. The resident therefore has an entire palette of exterior space from which to draw inspiration or composure. Earth, sky, and water are experienced here ranging from the “near and subdued” to the “distant and unbound” and capitalizes Geist’s commitment to provide a symbiotic relationship between house and site.

FLOOR PLAN ARRANGEMENT

Intelligent architectural floor plan arrangements invariably address the important consideration of how to relate private areas (bedrooms, study, office) from common areas (living, dining, kitchen). Here, the private wing and common wing transect at the entry bridge over the living room. This gives opportunity for a spatially expressive gesture at the entry, presents the common areas first to visitors, and places the bedrooms toward the more isolated rear of the house.