SITE
Located on the North Fork of Virginia’s Shenandoah River, this 24-acre property stretches from a steeply wooded mountainside north to a grassy flood plain bordering the river to the south. The Main House site is located in a small clearing in the woods, which allows a full southern exposure and panoramic views of the Blue Ridge Mountains. The Guest House is sited at a lower elevation with views of the flood plain and a future pond. The woods are comprised of native oak, walnut, and cedar trees, as well as wild cacti.


PROGRAM
A couple from the National Institutes of Health are building a weekend house as a gathering place for family and friends, and as a place to retreat and pursue their interests in hiking and kayaking. The New York natives,now Washington area residents, sought a clean, modern aesthetic that fit with the site and takes advantage of the dramatic views with minimal obstructions from the architecture. They also looked for ample wall space to display a growing artcollection. Their program included a 2-bedroom, 2-bath main House, and a 2-bedroom Guest House with a Bath and Kitchenette. Both structures benefit from a passive solar design strategy, energy-efficient geothermal heat pumps, and radiant floor heating.


DESIGN
The mass of the house is designed as a composition of smaller forms that follow the site contours and are connected by a concrete base level or plinth. The scale of the Main House grows from an open deck area at the west side of the clearing, to a four-story tower scaled to relate to that of the east tree line. Beyond the Tower, the one-story Master Bedroom wing nestles into the woods for a more intimate setting.

The Guest House structure is set along a lower contour with single-story massing. In general, all main rooms face south and most have angled glass walls for optimal solar exposure and solid north walls to provide a thermal barrier against winter wind. All structures have shed rooflines with shading overhangs that follow the slope of the hill; with the exception of the Great Room, which has a butterfly roof that opens the room and the Loft up to the view.

As one approaches the top of the site while following a winding wooded road, the main House frames a surprise view of the mountains. A concrete bridge leads one into the Entry Hall where the Stair Tower emerges as the central organizing element. It separates the house’s private Master Bedroom wing from the open Kitchen, Living, and Dining areas of the Great Room. Intended as a vertical gallery for the couple’s art collection, the Tower and its integrated fireplaces create a central hearth element, while its cantilevered loft forms a cozy space in the Great Room. In the Great Room and Master Bedroom wings, a bank of closets, mechanical space, benches, and shelves line the north wall. Along these walls, giant custom sliding panels serve as a canvas for paintings by the couple’s son. High clerestory windows bring in north light. The south wall features a steel frame and glass wall with built-in benches and a dining area in the corner. The lower level has a large Family Room, and Mud Room, and Guest Bedroom with glass doors that open onto a large terrace, thus creating a strong connection to the outside. By locating the second Bedroom beneath the Terrace, more living space is gained without increasing the scale of the house. The Master Bedroom wing and the Entry Hall are built on piers to allow ground water to flow from the top of the ridge under the House and down the slope. A combination wood and concrete Terrace connects the Kitchen area to the Screened Porch. Outdoor cooking and entertaining revolve around a built-in concrete grill center. A wood bridge creates an informal entrance to the Upper Terrace to the parking area. A custom board-formed concrete Jacuzzi is located on the Lower Terrace. Roof run-off is collected in an adjacent river rock drain bed.


MATERIALS AND TECHNOLOGY
A poured-in-place concrete foundation rises to form the base of the house up to counter top height where the concrete turns in to become the kitchen counters. Retaining walls and the Tower are also made of concrete reminiscent of the fire towers found in the area. Exposed interior concrete walls in the lower level provide structure and support for a concrete floor with radiant heat. Stress skin walls, a steel structural system, and aluminum windows comprise the house’s structure, while vertical exterior cedar siding adds warmth and texture. Jumbo structural stress-skin roof panels, spanning up to the maximum 18 ft. with 4 ft cantilevers, eliminate the need for roof rafters. All of the windows and structural materials are being manufactured or fabricated within 30 miles of the site. The house pushes local technologies and craft to their limits of expression, while maintaining a simple elegance.