A Nearby Stream Helps Sculpt This Spectacular Missouri Home

The passage of water and the surrounding landscape give shape to Streamline House by Hufft.

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Having fallen in love with the lake house that architects Matthew Hufft and Dan Brown designed for them in 2011, Chad and Kelly Morgan tapped the Kansas City–based architectural firm Hufft once again for their main residence in Springfield, Missouri.

Located in Springfield, Missouri, Streamline House is set on a hill just above the Jones Branch, a spring-fed stream that pumps more than 300,000 gallons of crystal-clear water through the site every day.

"We recently went to dinner with the homeowners, and Chad says he doesn’t collect cars or other items—just Hufft homes," laughs principal Jesse Hufft, who emphasizes the close relationship her firm enjoys with the couple, who have three children.

Topped with a custom-made steel roof, the home is wrapped in glass and painted brick.

Armed with a strong understanding of the clients’ family values, active lifestyle, and passion for the outdoors, Hufft knew that indoor/outdoor living was a must, as was capturing views and sounds of the stream that flows near the front of the house.

A pair of rocking chairs are perfectly positioned for taking in views of the stream.

The architects allowed the form of the house—aptly named Streamline House—to be shaped by the stream, which pumps more than 300,000 gallons of crystal-clear water through the site each day. The architects even embraced the stormwater runoff: instead of diverting it around the house, they channeled much of the current beneath a bridge portion of the home, where it flows to reach the stream.

The "Man Cave," or lower lounge, opens up to the outdoors through full-height glazing. The chair and ottoman seen in the corner is by Modernica.

"The form of the home is conceptually pushed and carved away by the flow of the site’s runoff making its way toward the stream, and the carves created by the passages of water become special connective moments in the architecture," explain the architects.

A Cor-Ten retaining wall contours the site into terraces to create more usable outdoor space, and was carefully positioned to save existing mature trees.

The landscape also influenced the material palette and the selection of light-colored painted brick, which mimics the site’s bright white limestone outcroppings and evokes imagery of erosion by water with its textured finish. Meanwhile, the house also references the local Ozark vernacular with its wide, inviting porch and gable-end roofs.

The kitchen features a white oak-paneled ceiling with a powder-coated steel sculpture of the stream. The backsplash and countertops are White Macaubus Marble with streaks that bring to mind the movement of water.

Tom Dixon pendants hang over a breakfast table designed by Hufft. — Tom Dixon pendants hang over a breakfast table designed by Hufft.

Inside, the light-filled home opens up to the outdoors through floor-to-ceiling windows for uninterrupted views. The interior is dressed with neutral tones and a natural material palette that includes light-colored brick to tie the indoor spaces with the exterior.

An indigo-velvet Restoration Hardware Chesterfield sectional anchors the living room located in the heart of the home.

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The white-oak bookcase was custom built.

The fireplace mantel was crafted from an oak tree felled on the property.

"There is an undeniable connection between the stream and the residence built beside it," note the architects. "Streamline House is a home that cannot be separated from its site, and the homeowners wouldn’t have it any other way."