St Joseph Residence

“In Search of Balance”

Sited upon a coastal dune landscape, this residence seeks proportional balance. Balance between elemental exposure and domestic intimacy of prospect and refuge. Balance between the natural and the manmade (in landscape, form, material, to color, texture, furnishings.)

Two cross axis are laid down over a long rolling site – one extending and connective; one short, straddling the crest. A vertical shaft of weathering steel (seemingly roofless) is placed to mark the crossing. Three primary horizontal protective volumes are then placed, two on the ground (of porcelain), one bridging overhead (of wood). The resultant void becomes the fourth, most public volume.

Secondary architectural elements are subsequently introduced, (trellis, screen wall, stepped garden, screened pavilion) extending the house into the landscape, and back. The resultant is a deliberate sequence of domesticated spaces of varied scales, each with specific agendas, microclimates, sounds, smells, effects.

Contrast heightens experience.