Our clients saw an opportunity to transform their intergenerational family ranch into a sustainable gathering place and a fun, flexible retreat for their family and friends. Above all, they shared an appreciation for the land itself and hoped to provide a space from which they could continue to steward its rolling plains of live oak and mesquite for generations to come. From an architectural perspective, the proposed structures had to grant each family node their own  private, secluded spaces while simultaneously providing comfortable and inspiring shared spaces for cooking, gathering, and connection.

In an effort to respond as sensitively to the site as possible, we placed great importance upon conducting a thorough site analysis, investigating prevailing winds, topography, hydrology, soils, vegetation, and solar access. Through deconstructing the program and distributing it across the hillside, the perceived impact of the building on the landscape is far gentler, and the lines between interior and exterior are blurred.  The resulting buildings - four minimal dwelling volumes and one larger gathering volume -  emerge from their surroundings. Clad in wood and stone, they are woven along the brow of a prominent hill, connected by a series of open and covered pathways.

Given room to breathe, the dwelling volumes feature semi-private outdoor spaces, shielded by terrain and vegetation. The large primary volume emphasizes connectivity and communal indoor and outdoor spaces, such as fire pits and cooking areas, which frame sunset and sunrise views.  This approach also allows for an efficiency-driven modularity in which the overall energy usage can respond nimbly to the number of occupants on site. The complex is only used at full capacity once in a blue moon, and during other times the unused dwellings can simply be “powered-down” to minimize the carbon footprint. 

To reach the client’s goal of a net-zero energy project, strategies such as airtight and thermal bridge free detailing, balanced ventilation, continuous insulation, passive solar heating and cooling were employed. Aside from reducing reliance upon mechanical systems, these strategies also significantly improve the building’s long term durability and occupant health.