* Residential Architecture: Plett 6541+2 House by SAOTA

Residential Architecture: Plett 6541+2 House by SAOTA: “..The clients requested a 6-bedroom family home with understated elegance and quiet grandeur, indoor / outdoor living spaces and uninterrupted views, with a ”lived-in beach-house” feel..The beach-front site falls within a pristine and unique environment, nestled at the foot of the Robberg. With direct access to a strip of idyllic beach, it is characterized by its rolling dunes and the dense indigenous vegetation of extraordinary variety, including a well establish Milkwood thicket. The site is subject to hot summers and moderate winters, with a cooling on-shore breeze, from the North East. Taking advantage of the large dune across the majority of the site, the views were maximised by elevating the living levels to above natural ground level, terracing built forms down the dune..The design incorporates large glazed areas and extensive use of outdoor spaces, with each aspect of the house having a terrace or deck. The linear open plan composition of the interior spaces allows views from every room. To take advantage of the sea and distant mountain views, while providing protection from the extremes of climate, the living spaces were designed with South West/North East orientations. Sculptured rectangular forms, linear elements, large areas of horizontal glazing, timber cladding and expansive external terraces are the principal elements of the design.Externally the natural fynbos was brought up to the house achieving a feeling that the house is set in nature and does not disturb the natural beauty..The simple choice of materials complements the sculptural form of the house. The flooring is of large format leather finish Neo Sardo Granite throughout the house, alongside painted walls and ceilings. The principal neutral elements are complemented by the natural timber shutters, screens and pergola. These will mature in time to a silver-grey colour. Each bathroom is characterised by walls clad in granite to match the floors, frameless glass shower enclosures and white Corian vanities. The master bedroom is finished with white oiled Oak flooring with feature granite, tying it back to the rest of the house..The key to this retreat is its simplicity in terms of the relationship between spaces. Its floor plan is structured, sparse and uncluttered..”  Extensive glazing, natural light, views; interesting form, interior volumes, materiality, details..

See our posts on other homes by SAOTA:

• Residential Architecture: Glen 2961 House by SAOTA and Three 14 Architects
• Residential Architecture: 6th 1448 Houghton ZM House by SAOTA and Antoni Associates
• Residential Architecture: Voelklip House by SAOTA and ANTONI ASSOCIATES
• Residential Architecture: Montrose House by SAOTA – Stefan Antoni Olmesdahl Truen Architects
• Residential Architecture: Nettleton 198 House by Stefan Antoni Olmesdahl Truen Architects (SAOTA)
• Residential Architecture: Victoria 73 House by SAOTA and Antoni Associates
• Residential Architecture: La Lucia House by SAOTA and Antoni Associates

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image: Courtesy of SAOTA; article: “Plett 6541+2 / SAOTA” 30 Nov 2012. ArchDaily. <http://www.archdaily.com/300391&gt;

* Residential Architecture: Cliff Treehouse by Baumraum

Residential Architecture: Cliff Treehouse by Baumraum: “..[a] treehouse nestled into maple trees near the Hudson River in New York designed by German-based Baumraum.  Far from a child’s treehouse, this residence provides simple interiors with a touch of elegance.  Constructed for a family with two children, the treehouse serves as an outlet for relaxation and is connected to their main residence via a slender wooden catwalk..While the residence looks to be suspended in midair, it is actually perched atop a wall of rocks and then extends off the cliff..The oak tree carries the weight of the terrace with heavy-duty straps and steel ropes. The treehouse is propped up by two slanting supports on the front and two small stilts near the rock..In the evening, the lighted room illuminates the tree tops..”

See our post on another “treehouse” project by Baumraum: Architecture: The Tree House by Baumraum.

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image: © Baumraum; article: Cilento , Karen. “Cliff Treehouse / Baumraum” 23 Aug 2010. ArchDaily. <http://www.archdaily.com/74312&gt;

* Residential Architecture: Broom Way Residence by Nonzero Architecture

Residential Architecture: Broom Way Residence by Nonzero Architecture: “..Having lived in the historic Brentwood, California, neighborhood for a decade and well aware of its unique quality, the owners had planned to expand their 1950’s house. Demolishing the unremarkable structure and building from ground up ultimately turned out to be the better solution. The resulting 4,200 square foot residence was completed in September 2011..Inspired by strict regulations demanding a mid-century ideal of humane modernism and appreciative of its values, the design is a contemporary interpretation and celebration of its inherent qualities, with an added strong focus on sustainability ..A steep down-slope site above a wooded canyon required a low profile from the street and the careful positioning of the volumes to preserve views, while making the comparably large home appear modestly scaled in keeping with the neighborhood..The massing concept consists of a simple large open glass volume for the shared living spaces, wrapped around three-dimensionaly by a solid band of smaller rooms that also maintain the owner’s privacy from the street. Closely integrated into the historic surroundings, the house features a typical transparent clerestory above the opaque walls and a floating flat roof with exposed steel beams..The desired inside-outside relationships, openness and attention to craft and detailing were achieved with a glazed steel post-and-beam structure. The concrete retaining walls are left exposed where possible and contrast with the steel and the sustainably harvested tropical hardwood siding..Photovoltaic glass panels power the house and offer a serene dappled light on the terrace while, along with deep roof overhangs, they help shade it. Natural ventilation is facilitated and encouraged through the placement of operable windows and folding glass walls, opening to the large deck, along the path of the prevailing breezes..Throughout the house, views of the canyon, the trees and the distant ocean and shoreline are carefully framed for maximum enjoyment as well as privacy. Spaces are extended outward and the surrounding landscape is continually incorporated into the design. The entry sequence leads through the solid perimeter band of rooms, through a glazed door sheltered by a skylight, into the large space, which finally opens up dramatically after one passes behind the freestanding kitchen volume..Built-in mahogany cabinets and shelves, including a fully rotating shelf wall separating a study and offering a choice between bookshelves and a TV, help to keep the tall space open and uncluttered..Roof beams from the old house were repurposed as steps and benches throughout and complement the largely drought-resistant landscaping..”  Extensive glazing, natural light, views; modest street-side elevation; clerestory windows; interesting form, interior volumes, details; solar energy, sustainability..

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image: © Juergen Nogai; article: “Broom Way Residence / Nonzero Architecture” 23 Nov 2012. ArchDaily. <http://www.archdaily.com/297019&gt;

* Residential Architecture: Shaker Heights House by Dimit Architects

Residential Architecture: Shaker Heights House by Dimit Architects: “..This single-family residence was designed to facilitate the modern lifestyle of an active young family in the leafy Cleveland suburb of Shaker Heights, Ohio. The house plan is arranged as two basic wings— one is more public in function with living, dining, and entertaining spaces— the other is more private, providing bedrooms, home office, exercise room, and support spaces. The two wings meet at the heart of the house- an expansive open kitchen, with views to a protected rear courtyard with swimming and reflecting pools..The various rectilinear masses of the house is clad in either a light cast stone veneer or with ipe wood slats arranged over a rain-screen membrane. Generous walk-out roof decks, also surfaced with ipe wood slats, provide extensions for each of the second floor bedroom spaces, while the remaining flat roof surfaces are planted with green indigenous prairie grasses. Construction by Pistone and Tesauro Builders of Chagrin Falls was completed in the summer of 2012..”  Extensive glazing, natural light, courtyard views; interesting form, interior volumes, details and materiality..

See our post on another residential project by Dimit Architects: Residential Architecture: 27 Coltman Townhouses by Dimit Architects.

image: © Brad Feinknopf; article: Frey , Rodrigo . “Shaker Heights House / Dimit Architects” 19 Nov 2012. ArchDaily. <http://www.archdaily.com/295305&gt;