Our Palm Springs project under construction, soon to be completed…
The desert offers the most beautiful and place full of material- its white, bright light. A defining material, there for the taking.
In the Palm Springs Courtyard House, we tried to give the light an opportunity to work its magic, offering curved wall surfaces to drape itself on, to enabling the wall forms to be their best curved selves. Our second offering, openings in the roof, are narrow and long. The light seeping through exhibits the intensity of desert light; it lays down a sharp edged, dynamic geometry of bright white. The light scatters to ambient, producing a comfortably lit space.
Architecture is a bit like finding the right frame for a painting; it takes careful consideration and time. For us, living in architecture should also be an experience of living in a frame to the world outside.
In this example of our work, The Thumb House, an outdoor room opens toward the lake, side wall, and ceiling to create a deeply framed panoramic view of water and sky. Like an art gallery wall, white-stained wood lines the inside of the outdoor room, transitioning smoothly into the white interior of the house.
Cutting into the walls from just above head height to ceiling preserves privacy and the tree canopy, joining living space and nature through a shaped frame.
Wood hatches are the third type of frame, opaque when closed, then opened as preferred. Fresh air, light and a personal sized view to fit your comfort level.
Photos by @vondelinde
We all understand through experience that connection to “place” is essential for human well being.
Our work is, in part, an inquiry into “making place” in our client’s homes. We start by studying the region we are designing in, taking stock of what others have built and left behind. We key on the materials that are typical to the region, that exemplify and make “this place”.
Our Silhouette House in the Bitterroot Valley, Montana is built entirely of 3 materials that define the built history of the Valley- Douglass Fir wood, metal, and glass.
By staying strict to the local material palette, and not bringing in materials from the outside, “place” establishes itself, with ease. The building is of the place.
Revisiting our old friend the Stack House.
The desire that organized the design is age old- create interior privacy, allow abundant daylight in and select views out to sky and garden. Engage street and neighbors selectively.
The courtyard house.
On this steep Minneapolis hillside off Cedar Lake, a jenga like stack of volumes creating voids, was the means to creating a courtyard like interior. Specific spaces ring the perimeter to support the rituals of the day like cooking, dining, reading and making music.
Photos @vondelinde
For the Risom House interior re-model Jen and Lara Risom asked for a relaxed place for living amongst their art collection and furniture designed by Sven’s father Risom. This design attitude was a match for us.
It was a true privilege to work in concert with Sven Risom’s work in the foreground; we determined a quiet hand would guide the design: white surfaces, a rift sawn white oak floor as background to their furniture and art, and cabinets with a nod to the Sven’s era with some of his trademark colors.
The existing space was a bit starved of natural light, so a continuous skylight that also enhanced the beam rhythm was added.
Photos @jasper.lazor
Builder: Braden Associates
#spacetheory cabinets
Some moments in the gardens that surround our Palm Springs Desert Courtyard house, as well as a view into one of the private garden courtyards inside the home.
The effort is towards a quiet architecture that frames the distant mountain landscape while also making spaces between the walls for intimate desert gardens to live in.
We’re about 2/3 complete with construction and our landscape architect Randy Purnell is in the field fine tuning his design.
Renders by @brickvisual
With unique geometries, the lakeside Triangle house frames nature while creating shelter.
The buildings site-specific program (with 2/3rds storage for boats and motor vehicles, 48 cylinders total) lives within the forest. A glass walled frontage opens the forms to the water and woods.
Photos by @jasper.lazor
Some glowing dusk shots of the pre fabricated cabin overlooking Lake Michigan. What an inviting sight on a cold winter evening.
Photos by @jasper.lazor
Showing off some views of Lake Michigan from the Wisconsin residence guesthouse + art gallery wing.
The horizon house, conceived as a line in the landscape to frame the land’s edge of sky meeting water.
Photos @jasper.lazor
Highlighting the all wood interior and upholstery by Straight Thread Chair Co. practicing pragmatic stitching with sumptuous detail, in our pre fabricated cabin placed on an Island in Lake Michigan.
Photos by @jasper.lazor
Our Desert Courtyard house in Palm Springs, California, completion set for this July.
An architecture of 4 primary planes:
2 vertical planes frame a desert garden courtyard while 2 horizontal planes frame the expansive mountain landscape and make shade. The house has all glass pockets for an open air porch like living space.
Renders by Brick
