No Architecture, PLCC

Flower House

Flower House
Aerial view looking northeast. As the latest addition to a multi-generational property, the Flower House respects the neighboring vernacular buildings and agricultural context, and reflects the undulating mountains on the horizon.. Image © Iwan Baan

Flower House

NO ARCHITECTURE

ARCHITECTS
NO ARCHITECTURE

HORTICULTURAL & ECOLOGICAL CONSULTANT
Patrick Cullina Horticultural Design

DESIGN TEAM
Dana AlMathkoor, Maria Carriero, Yan Chen, Jennifer Diep, Sbrissa Eleonora, Andrew Heid, Yawen Jin, James Kubiniec, Chung Ming Lam, Jean Lien, Naifei Liu, Alberto Andrés Silva Olivo, Jie Xie, Jialin Yuan, Daniel Zuvia

STRUCTURAL ENGINEERING
Madden & Baughman Engineering, Inc.

CONTRACTORS
Quadresign Inc.

PHOTOGRAPHS
Iwan Baan

AREA
326 m²

YEAR
2020

LOCATION
United States

CATEGORY
Houses

The project reinterprets and expands on the glass house typology through its dynamic relationship to the native landscape and a plan configuration that organizes the six interlocking pavilions into “petals” around a central open courtyard.

Flower House
North view towards master suite pavilion. Partially excavated into a hillside, the project’s topography not only offers thermal insulation, but also modulates interior atmospheres along spectrums of open to closed, public to private, as well as above and below grade.. Image Courtesy of NO ARCHITECTURE
Flower House
West facade. The project reconceives the “glass house” typology through dynamic relations to the natural landscape and native context. Two concentric glass envelopes negotiate competing demands for east-west views, while preserving thermal benefits of solar exposure in winter. . Image © Iwan Baan

Partially excavated into a hillside, the project’s topography offers thermal insulation while modulating the interior spaces along spectrums of open to closed, public to private, above and below grade.

Uphill to the west, clerestory windows illuminate the bedrooms and baths; while downhill to the east, the more public programs open to the surrounding landscape through floor-to-ceiling windows.

Flower House
Northwest towards living room pavilion. Loadbearing mullions frame R-10 triple glazed, laminate glass windows. The R-20 insulated foundation walls covered in galvalume leave the concrete exposed on the interior.. Image © Iwan Baan
Flower House
Interior view of living room: 3”x6” mullions vertically support the mass timber canopy allowing for column free interiors.. Image © Iwan Baan

Similarly, in plan, the six pavilions are oriented to optimize varying sun exposures and levels of privacy, while the cantilevered roof canopies provide weather protection, passive shading for the interior, and a dramatic frame that expands the transition from interior to exterior.

Structurally, each pavilion operates like a Miesian umbrella diagram—a canopy open to all sides—with an exposed concrete slab-on-grade below.

Flower House
Living room towards guest bedroom pavilions: The stepped concrete foundation walls follow the undulating topography, and therefore, modulate interior atmospheres along spectrums of open to closed, public to private, as well as above and below grade.. Image © Iwan Baan
Flower House
Eastern horizon from living and kitchen threshold: The communal spaces connect dramatic panoramas and encourage a reverence and appreciation for nature.. Image Courtesy of NO ARCHITECTURE

The entire structure is vertically supported by load-bearing window frames and stabilized laterally by T- and L-shaped cores that conceal shear walls.

By consolidating the bathroom, storage, and mechanicals within these structural cores, the project maximizes usable space and minimizes poche.

Flower House
Courtesy of NO ARCHITECTURE
Flower House
Master bath: The stepped concrete foundations increase in height, transforming into a clerestory for privacy.. Image Courtesy of NO ARCHITECTURE

The resulting column-free interiors liberate interior movement and maintain clear sightlines between the internal landscape of the courtyard and the exterior landscape beyond.

In striving to clarify and reduce the profile of architectural components, we find a balance for the structure’s spatial exuberance, while foregrounding the landscape and program.

Flower House
Courtyard view looking east. Native plantings fill the central garden courtyard providing summer shade and breezes. In winter, deciduous trees provide winter sun for the interiors. The landscape berm provides thermal insulation year-round.. Image © Iwan Baan
Flower House
Aerial view looking northeast. As the latest addition to a multi-generational property, the Flower House respects the neighboring vernacular buildings and agricultural context, and reflects the undulating mountains on the horizon.. Image © Iwan Baan
Flower House
Aerial view looking south. Surrounded by several hundred acres of agricultural land trust, the site receives immediate views of working farms and the Berkshire mountains in the distance. Inspired by these panoramas, a circular concept of timber pavilions captures views from every direction.. Image © Iwan Baan


Flower House
Courtesy of NO ARCHITECTURE
Flower House
Courtesy of NO ARCHITECTURE
Flower House
Courtesy of NO ARCHITECTURE
Flower House
Courtesy of NO ARCHITECTURE
Flower House
Courtesy of NO ARCHITECTURE
Flower House
Courtesy of NO ARCHITECTURE
Flower House
© Iwan Baan
Flower House
Courtesy of NO ARCHITECTURE


Flower House
Courtesy of NO ARCHITECTURE
Flower House
Courtesy of NO ARCHITECTURE
Flower House
Courtesy of NO ARCHITECTURE
Flower House
Courtesy of NO ARCHITECTURE
Flower House
Courtesy of NO ARCHITECTURE
Flower House
Courtesy of NO ARCHITECTURE
Flower House
Courtesy of NO ARCHITECTURE
Flower House
Courtesy of NO ARCHITECTURE
Flower House
Courtesy of NO ARCHITECTURE
Flower House
Courtesy of NO ARCHITECTURE


Flower House
Elevation
Flower House
Elevation
Flower House
Elevation
Flower House
Elevation


Flower House
Plan
Flower House
Plan - Site


Flower House
Plan Oblique. Aggregated into a honeycombed structure around a hexagonal courtyard, each pavilion operates like a Miesian umbrella diagram. The six canopies independently rotate above their respective concrete slabs to modulate passive solar shading.
Flower House
Section Drawing. Uphill to the west, clerestory windows illuminate the near subterranean bedrooms and baths; while downhill to the east, the more public programs open to the surrounding landscape through floor-to-ceiling windows.
Flower House
Plan Oblique

No Architecture, PLCC
T +1 646 6629881
No Architecture, PLCC
176 Elizabeth St 2nd floor, New York, NY 10012, United States