The rugged landscape above the Californian Sonoma Valley is not a frequent choice of site for new sleek and comfortable family homes, but Schwartz and Architecture have managed to turn this awkward spot into a dream location with the appropriately named Box on the Rock.
Starting with a basic rectangle, Schwartz and Architecture distorted and rearranged the shape to come up with a diamond-like geometric design. "We wanted a very abstract, sculptural and organic object", explains head architect Neal Schwartz. The result is a house that seems to respond effortlessly to its difficult site, whilst still meeting all the needs of the clients.
Take an interactive tour of Box on the Rock house
Perched above the rocky undergrowth and hillside waterways on pier foundations, the house is quite literally a box on the rocks. Whilst the grey-stained cedar wood helps the building blend in to the stony landscape, its irregular and unusual shape ensures it still makes its own mark on the surroundings.
One of the main goals was to design a site-responsive house that could show off and celebrate its cinematic location. This was achieved through the building's dramatic approach. A square cut-out entrance acts like a camera viewfinder, tantalisingly framing part of the view that is finally revealed in its entirety by a wall-length window in the living area.
As well as maximising the internal space within the necessarily small footprint, which houses any external space inside the actual structure, the geometry of the design, with its angular walls, responds to the climate in order to make the most of the sun's heat, shade and the natural wind ventilation. The house works with nature to create a comfortable living space, eliminating the need for expensive heating and cooling systems.
Two wings offer a more introverted and secluded space for the bathroom and bedrooms, which open up onto a central courtyard that provides a sheltered outdoor space against the area's extreme microclimate. The projecting wings are connected by a bridge-like living area that bulges outwards as if to touch the beautiful landscape. To combat the uneven site, the architects designed a cantilevered terrace, creating a sense of movement and emphasising the idea of the house balancing precariously upon the rocks and boulders.
By quite literally thinking outside of the box, Schwartz and Architecture have designed a building that works with, rather than against, its powerful surroundings, perhaps even improving on an already spectacular setting.
The geometric design enables the house to work with the Californian climate. The walls' different angles make the most of both the sunlight and shade to cool or heat up the buildling naturally.
The relatively small entrance area acts like a camera viewfinder, opening up to reveal a cinematic view framed by the large, wall-length window on the opposite façade
A bridge-like living area connects the two bedroom wings of the house, which are separated by an external courtyard
The courtyard provides a sheltered outdoor area to protect residents from the extreme microclimate of the Californian Sonoma Valley
The house cantilevers over the hilly site and appears to balance elegantly above the rocky landscape, a design decision that led to its apt name, Box on the Rock
Wall-length windows create the illusion of a much larger space opening the house outwards into the dramatic surroundings
By splitting the house into separate wings with a central connecting courtyard, the bedrooms are peaceful resting areas, isolated from the living and kitchen space
The courtyard, which can be accessed from the bedrooms, offers uninterrupted views of the spectacular landscape beyond
The cantilevered terrace pushes the house outwards into the valley and allows residents to make the most of the open views and natural surroundings
INFORMATION
Photography: Bruce Damonte
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