Situated on a rural hillside 10 miles south of Ione, California, the Country House is a commission (project terminated) for a 3,000sf two-story house on a 1.5 acre site overlooking a nature preserve. As a representational interest, the Country House explores concepts of the American purlieu-- a middle-English term used to describe landscapes that are neither fully cultivated nor completely wild. This interest helped guide techniques of manipulation to the conventional elements of the porch, chimney, and roof to enhance the relationships between site and house while focusing views towards the preserve beyond.
The porch is conceived of as a subtractive void carved through the ground floor of the house creating a covered, wrap-thru porch that links terraces on the north and south sides while also containing entrances, framing views, and supportin the effect of the landscape moving through or between the house iteself.
The carved porch also separates the garage from the guest suite on the lower level yet maintains the continuity of the second floor above. The carve occurs precisely where the house bends from east to south as it reorients to the nature preserve. This curve double serves as a means for aligning the garage to the main street, thus creating easy access for vehicles.
The central “chimney” is host to a whole house fan capable of drawing air up and out of both floors for a cooling effect that minimizes the need for ducted or electrical cooling.
Project Team: