Slideshow: Wabi Sabi House - Dwell Blog

According to a Reuters newswire this afternoon, U.S. sales of newly constructed single-family homes fell again last May and were down over 40 percent from last year. Not only is this a tough time for prospective homeowners, it’s a tough time for developers, who, in some cases, have been forced to dramatically alter their tactics. While there seem to be no certainties for building on spec these days, at least one developer has chosen the road less traveled by enlisting the services of well-known architects to add a layer of import to her housing projects.

Former journalist turned real estate developer Carol Isaak Barden works with architects such as Francois de Menil, Allen Bianchi, and Strasser Ragni to create unique speculative homes in a market inundated by the mundane. Recently, she collaborated with Rick Sundberg of the award-winning firm Olsen Sundberg Kundig Allen Architects on the Wabi Sabi House in Houston. Although buyers typically find themselves at odds with the eccentricities of most architects, there’s little room for doubt that Sundberg has crafted a wonderfully simple dwelling to meet the needs of a variety of users.

The boxy structure, whose façade leans forward into the front lawn, is characterized by a judicious use of wood. On the outside, naturally aged cedar gives the appearance of dry stone, while the inside is finished in salvaged wood, bamboo, and reclaimed teak. Millwork executed in exotic wood, ipe, and mahogany rounds out the natural interior, which receives ample daylight through broad windows and skylights. It’s a risky business, developing housing these days, but the Wabi Sabi house is proof that quality is always in demand.

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Posted by: Brian Fichtner on Jun 25, 08 at 02:50 PM PDT