description
Our clients saw an opportunity to transform their intergenerational family ranch into a sustainable gathering place and a flexible, safe retreat for their family and friends. Above all, they shared an appreciation for the land itself and hoped to provide a space from which they could continue to steward its rolling plains of live oak and mesquite for generations to come. From an architectural perspective, the proposed structures had to grant each family node their own private, secluded spaces while simultaneously providing comfortable and inspiring shared spaces for cooking, gathering, and connection.
In an effort to respond as sensitively to the site as possible, we placed great importance upon conducting a thorough site analysis, investigating prevailing winds, topography, hydrology, soils, vegetation, and solar access. Through deconstructing the program and distributing it across the hillside, the perceived impact of the building on the landscape is far gentler, and the lines between interior and exterior are blurred. The resulting buildings - four minimal dwelling volumes and one larger gathering volume - emerge from their surroundings. Clad in wood and stone, they are woven along the brow of a prominent hill, connected by a series of open and covered pathways.
Given room to breathe, the dwelling volumes feature semi-private outdoor spaces, shielded by terrain and vegetation. The large primary volume emphasizes connectivity and communal indoor and outdoor spaces, such as fire pits and cooking areas, which frame sunset and sunrise views. This approach also allows for an efficiency-driven modularity in which the overall energy usage can adapt to the varying number of occupants on site. The complex is only used at full capacity once in a blue moon, and during other times the unused dwellings can simply be “powered-down” to minimize the energy use.
To reach the client’s goal of a net-zero energy project, strategies such as airtight and thermal bridge free detailing, balanced ventilation, continuous insulation, passive solar heating and cooling were employed. Aside from reducing reliance upon mechanical systems, these strategies also significantly improve the building’s long term durability and occupant health.
insights
Assessing the Site
Determining where to place a building in the first place is one of the most fundamental and critical tasks of the architect. Potential access routes, topography, views, solar orientation, vegetation, and prevailing winds are only some of the considerations included in assessment for this project. In the end, a building site was selected which rests lightly at the brow of a small ravine, overlooking native woodlands below and pastures beyond.
Massing
In an effort to respond sensitively to the site, the project’s program is distributed across multiple modestly-sized volumes which are unified with covered walkways and connected roof planes. These low-slung, connected roofs encourage the user to scan the environment horizontally, out beyond the complex and into the surrounding hillside landscape. This same approach also contributes to the Net Zero design through passive cooling and plenty of space for rooftop photovoltaic arrays.
Architecture as a Journey
Upon approaching the complex, users are guided through a series of gently meandering pathways which weave between the primary building volumes. Open, semi-enclosed, and fully enclosed spaces form discrete viewsheds, creating a sense of intrigue, building sense of place, and establishing a simultaneously intuitive wayfinding system. The most prized views over the desert landscape are reserved for the “destination” locations on site - fire pit gathering areas, formal terraces, and the great room.
Structural Engineering - FORT Structures
Sustainability Consulting - Project CO+OP
Architectural Design Support - Studio Gustavo A. Lopez
Our clients saw an opportunity to transform their intergenerational family ranch into a sustainable gathering place and a flexible, safe retreat for their family and friends. Above all, they shared an appreciation for the land itself and hoped to provide a space from which they could continue to steward its rolling plains of live oak and mesquite for generations to come. From an architectural perspective, the proposed structures had to grant each family node their own private, secluded spaces while simultaneously providing comfortable and inspiring shared spaces for cooking, gathering, and connection.
In an effort to respond as sensitively to the site as possible, we placed great importance upon conducting a thorough site analysis, investigating prevailing winds, topography, hydrology, soils, vegetation, and solar access. Through deconstructing the program and distributing it across the hillside, the perceived impact of the building on the landscape is far gentler, and the lines between interior and exterior are blurred. The resulting buildings - four minimal dwelling volumes and one larger gathering volume - emerge from their surroundings. Clad in wood and stone, they are woven along the brow of a prominent hill, connected by a series of open and covered pathways.
Given room to breathe, the dwelling volumes feature semi-private outdoor spaces, shielded by terrain and vegetation. The large primary volume emphasizes connectivity and communal indoor and outdoor spaces, such as fire pits and cooking areas, which frame sunset and sunrise views. This approach also allows for an efficiency-driven modularity in which the overall energy usage can adapt to the varying number of occupants on site. The complex is only used at full capacity once in a blue moon, and during other times the unused dwellings can simply be “powered-down” to minimize the energy use.
To reach the client’s goal of a net-zero energy project, strategies such as airtight and thermal bridge free detailing, balanced ventilation, continuous insulation, passive solar heating and cooling were employed. Aside from reducing reliance upon mechanical systems, these strategies also significantly improve the building’s long term durability and occupant health.