florian maurer
1 green roof with native, drought resistant planting 2 prefabricated structural insulated panels 3 steel cladding panels, acid washed and sealed with linseed oil 4 slab on grade with hydronic in-floor heating 5 photovoltaic energy production 6 interior blinds for privacy 7 exterior shades for solar control 8 overhangs for passive shading 9 aluminum curtain wall 10 standard hollow steel structural sections 11 ground source heating and cooling 12 light valence On the plan, above, from the street, a subterranean Cave leads through 1 garage past 2 a wine cellar to 3 the entry. 4 A narrow stairway emerges from the earth into the light and transparent volume of the Glass House with 5 an open living room 6 kitchen 7 dining room 8 lower service bar. 9 Across a central courtyard the Earth House accommodates 10 bedrooms 11 baths
This small house is composed of three distinct volumes, set into the top of a clay ridge above the village of Naramata on Okanagan Lake. The configuration of the land, with a steep slope facing the road, limited frontage and a large no-build covenant, made it practically impossible to create conventional access to the most desirable part of the lot with its southern exposure and views. The solution was to bury the garage deep into the slope and climb from there through the floor of the glass house, situated on the ridge top. A site with very limited potential could thus be unlocked to provide privacy with a panoramic view. The glass house pays tribute to its spectacular location, and is an homage to the famous glass houses that marked the classic modern era, such as Mies Van der Rohe’s Farnsworth House or Johnson’s Glass House. However, 60 years of technological progress, and an ecological awakening allow us to avoid the technical problems these visionary designs faced. Geothermal in-floor heating, photovoltaic electricity production, large overhangs, exterior shading, cross ventilation and high performance glass let us live with the light and openness we desire, while treading softly on the earth. The house can be taken as a measure of where architecture has come in 60 years; how attitudes and expectations have evolved, but also what endures in our vision of an ideal built environment.
12 a media room 13 an art studio 14 a private rear courtyard.
earth house glass house cave
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construction | naramata allen + maurer architects
surfaces processes landscapes abstractions extremes
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