Modern Vernacular Guest Cottage | The Palatine Studio | Charlottesville | Virginia | Montgomery + Townsend Architecture and Design

The Palatine Studio is a small backyard jewelry studio, wood shop, and guest cottage sited on a steep hill. With its gabled form and horizontal exterior cladding, the Palatine Studio is a vernacular reference to the neighborhood’s surrounding houses. This referential exterior form is then manipulated by outwardly sloping the east and north walls, creating an unexpected disruption to the form. Beyond this visual experience, the sloped walls compress the space above the eastern entrance path. The minimal sculptural details of the exterior not only shed the viewer’s assumptions of the form, but also draw the focus back to the simple experience of the form in its simplicity, and the space it inhabits. Upon entering the studio door threshold, the stairwell--painted the same color as the exterior, with the same slate chips--creates a material relationship to the exterior while also unfolding a notably tall space for such a small building. As the viewer ascends the stairs, the space again compresses to the top, leading to a small opening filled with contrasting white light. This is the jewelry studio, which is open and lined--walls, floor, and ceiling--with white pine. The expansion of light continues, though, with a frame-less floor-to-ceiling window, which, when standing against it, draws the viewer’s perspective from the building itself to the view of a mountain beyond......more

Modern House In The Woods | California | Envelope

Rather than a singular building, the house comprises a cluster of tent cabins. Three sleeping quarters and a living-dining commons rise into the forest canopy on stilts and are linked by wooden paths and open gathering places. 

Extending our experiments with liminal structures and hybrid spaces we fostered the land’s playfulness and conviviality, braced by bonds with family and friends.
The tented roofs and vanishing walls create an

immersive connection with the natural setting—its sounds and changing seasons—while large clear and mirrored-bronze glass windows frame views of the landscape and neighboring "rooms." Wood walls and floors lend warmth and support the comforts of modern living deep within the forest......more

Modern House On A Hill slope | Laurentian Ski Chalet | Saint Donat | Quebec | Canada | Robitaille Curtis

This modern ski chalet was designed as a weekend retreat for a family with school age children. Sited on the steep slope of a former ski hill, Mont-Jasper, near the village of Saint-Donat. At an elevation of 2,435 feet above sea level, the site is among the highest residential building lots in the Laurentians and Lanaudière regions. From this elevation, surrounded by a dense forest of spruce, maple, beech and birch trees, the chalet commands 100-mile panoramic views over beautiful Lac Archambault..........more

Horizontal House | Santiago de Chile | Chile | Studio Cáceres Lazo

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Modern House On The Slope | Springwater Trail Residence | Portland | Oregon | MINARIK ARCHITECTURE

This ground up new construction residence overlooks the Springwater Trail in Portland, Oregon. A steep sloped lot required a system of gradebeams and micropiles. This relatively small footprint packs in many features such as solar, radiant heated concrete floors, water retention, and a deck overhanging the environmental conservation area.......more

Metal Clad Wall Cabin | Klickitat Cabin | Washington | MINARIK ARCHITECTURE

This cabin sits on the Washington side of the Columbia River on a steep sloping and very dry site, with views to Mt. Hood. Due to the risk of wildfires, one of the primary goals was for the exterior to be entirely non-combustible. All materials (even the type of wood) were chosen for their fire resistance. The main cabin and exterior walking surfaces were also elevated to mitigate the risk of grass fires. This also reduces disruption to the native grasses and wildflowers. The cabin footprint is 20’ x 20’ with a simple and efficient interior and a primary focus to Mt. Hood. Large sliding exterior shutters were installed to provide security, but also to act as solar shading devices. Through the use of passive ventilation, shading, a soapstone wood burning stove, and concrete floor for thermal mass, the energy usage is minimal. Future plans to add a solar array to the roof would completely isolate itself from the power grid.......more

Spanish Modern House On The Hillslope | The X House | Barcelona | Spain | Cadaval & Sola-Morales

The house has two floors. The top floor, beyond incorporating a parking and allowing the access to the house, is conceived as a private suite of the owners - main room with closet and washroom/toilet, and spacious studio. On the lower floor there is a clear distinction between the front and the rear of the house. The front area has a totally open and public nature, comprised of a living area in a double high space next to a kitchen/dining room articulated around a significant marble table, 8m long. The rear part of the lower floor holds the rooms and service areas, through which the patios are given direct and protected views of the valley, the sea and the mountain.

The X House uses form to combine spaces of very different nature and provide them with an individual character, always incorporating landscape as the primary consideration. Beyond the effective spatial arrangement at the front of the house, the views are the protagonist in each space. Learning from Dan Graham's reflections, the image of the sea is always present when observing the mountain, and the mountain appears as a reflection when looking at the sea: a perceptive quality that enriches the experience of the house.......more

Modern Austrian House Design | L-House | Burgenland | Austria | Architects Collective,

The two-story house is located on a southwestern slope overlooking the hilly countryside. As is typical for the region, the L-shaped structure forms a protected courtyard to the north. The end of the L-shape cantilevers up to eight meters and forms a covered carport area that allows direct access into the courtyard located behind. The 300m2 indoor area is characterized by an open staircase which connects the two floors. At the pivot point of the L-shape, there is an open area that is intended as a children's play area and library. This is also where all circulation areas and stairwells come together. From this point, the courtyard as well as the living and sleeping areas are all within view. Due to a careful building arrangement, all rooms have access to natural light and can be cross ventilated. Heating of the house is done through a biomass wood chip plant, which is operated jointly with several neighbors. The L-shaped building form is completed by a mirror-like protected square courtyard......more

Modern Californian House Design | Nakahouse | Hollywood Hills | California | XTEN Architecture

Due to geotechnical, zoning, budget and ecological considerations the foundations and building footprint were maintained in the current design. The interior was completely reconfigured however, and the exterior was opened up to the hillside views and the natural beauty of the surroundings........more

House On The Hillside | Kilrenney Avenue Residence | Los Angeles | IKONIKO

Built and developed by Becker General Contractors in west Los Angeles, this house was completed in June 2009. By reorganizing and adding a significant amount of space to an original house volume, the new design takes full advantage of its hillside site by orienting spaces and views towards the surrounding landscape. Large windows and sliding glass doors allow lifestyles of leisure and work to expand out to the exterior. All spaces have access to numerous patios and balconies; allowing unexpected perspectives of the Los Angeles area.......more

Timber House Design | Cabin on Flathead Lake Polson | Montana | Andersson Wise

Situated above a steep cliff, called the Matterhorn by locals, and amongst 200-foot-tall Ponderosa pine, the cabin on Flathead Lake was designed to quietly enjoy the panoramic lake views and activity of the osprey......more

House On The Hillslope | Spindrift House | Carver + Schicketanz

Three rectangular volumes with traditional hipped roofs were placed between a mature stand of cypress and a picturesque cove. The odd angle of the void between the main building blocks forms the two story floor-to-ceiling glass entry, leading to the more public areas of the home on one side and a private master suite on the south side. The careful siting takes advantage of the variety of available views as well as the topography of the land. As a result, sunlight is captured in different rooms throughout the day and large glass sliders lead to patios on both the lower and upper floors.........more