River House

Project Statement

Two factors directly impacted the design and planning processes for the project:
• Project Location: The project is sited in a flood plain next to the Cumberland River. This 9+ acre property is bisected by Sandy Creek and was fully underwater in 2010’s flood.
• The owner’s unconventional program: A single-family home that could be activated to sleep 50 people and feed and entertain over 100 during holidays and for special events.

The lowest level was designed for parking, systems, and storage in response to the flood plain, and provides an “at grade” entrance. The first level above grade makes use of a post-tension concrete floor lifted 11’ above the flood plain to enhance river views. On this plinth, two “wings” were erected – one for family, one for guests. This division logically kept the family’s activities separate from those of their visitors and allowed over half of the house to fully shut down when unoccupied. The central space connecting the two wings includes a 23’ high, 3000 SF great room capable of holding multiple casual living room areas, or seating for a large dinner event. Upstairs, a dramatic game room contains a golf simulator, billiards, and old-school video games with a western river panorama, and eastern views facing the property’s entry and chipping/putting green.

The River House’s rooftop photovoltaic system generates almost 37 MWh per year offsetting much of the home’s electrical use. The primary HVAC system is Variable Refrigerant Flow with a SEER near 30. Daylighting is maximized to reduce the need for supplemental interior lighting. However, the south facade intentionally has almost no fenestration, and the glass guest room entries on the west side are set beneath a deep overhang to reduce afternoon heat gain. The modern glass “bay windows” face east to bring morning light into the deep interior spaces. The house is spray-foam and rockwool insulated, with continuous insulation across all outside walls. Exterior materials were selected for aesthetics, durability and low maintenance. A standing seam metal skin relates to the shipping industries adjacent to the property. Limestone pavers were regionally sourced. The extensive shou sugi ban fir siding has two different chars, varied widths, and a custom reveal which allowed articulation of the differentiate the facades.

The final estate design reflects the conversation between the design team and owners regarding the importance of modern flexible space, indoor/outdoor connectivity, and sustainability.

Framework for Design Excellence Narrative

**Energy** – The River House was sited to maximize views and access to the Cumberland River, which meant its orientation had a wide western façade full of glass. The design recesses much of the western fenestration to avoid solar heat gain. At the 46’ wide operable glass wall connecting the great room to the expansive western wood deck, a custom steel and wood canopy protects the opening from the sun. The northern half of the roof is fully covered in photovoltaics which generate 37 MWh per year, offsetting much of the home’s electrical use. A Variable Refrigerant Flow HVAC system maximizes flexibility and the ability to shut unoccupied portions of the house off, while minimizing energy consumption as VRF technology can achieve SEER ratings significantly higher than traditional HVAC systems. This higher efficiency equates to a lower carbon footprint. The home is “over insulated” with closed cell foam and rockwool to reduce heat/cool loss and improve the indoor environmental quality.

 

**Well Being** – The River House’s primary focus is on occupant comfort. Daylighting was maximized to both allow views of the outdoors and reduce dependence on artificial lighting, but also to improve the overall mood and mental health of the residents. Daylighting enters the great room space from multiple locations to “activate” the space as the sun moves and provide more uniform lighting throughout. The balance of daylighting with the home’s HVAC performance ensures thermal comfort. Each guest room’s temperature is individually controlled and the equipment serving the room can be shut off when the room is unoccupied. Each guest room also has access to a balcony space facing the river and pool deck. The primary suite and family living room also open to exterior living spaces. The project’s interior design engages one’s senses through its use of vibrant colors, varied materials, and unique light fixtures. Acoustic plaster was used on the great room and game room ceilings to eliminate echo and dampen sound levels in those larger spaces.  A variety of social spaces support both larger gatherings, and smaller, more intimate get-togethers. Providing opportunities for children to feel welcome was also important –a custom steel slide from the front porch to grade was designed for kids and kids at heart. One guest room is a custom designed bunk room which sleeps 12 and is finished in wallpaper from ET The Extraterrestrial. The pool was designed with a zero-entry and wide shallow end, allowing easier access and use for young children and seniors. The western deck is only at two levels, thus eliminating the need for multiple sets of stairs for access and maximizing the usable area.

 

While an elevator was introduced to allow for ease of moving larger items in and out of the house, the staircases were a key design element and were located to provide convenient access to the residents. One stair logically connects the garage to the family living area to the primary suite. A second, more central stair is intentionally frontal and connects the home’s entry to the game room and upstairs guest rooms. The monumental precast and steel stair rising to the front door was designed as a feature of the home’s façade to draw people from the parking court up to the front porch. Landscaping was designed using primarily native plants, many which attract pollinators. The project directly connects the inhabitants with “place”; views of the Cumberland River abound, and an outdoor limestone stair takes one to a boat dock at the river’s edge.

 

**Discovery** – The River House is a unique project for a unique client. The specific objectives of the owners were manifest in an unexpected way by the design team, with a series of informative “lessons learned” paradigms revealed throughout the process. These valuable experiences and discoveries will inevitably shape our future design work as we reflect on project successes, challenges, and opportunities. Our relationship with a client doesn’t end when the project is complete; the owners are long-term friends of the architects, and we remain regularly engaged with them.  The feedback from our clients – positive and negative – is valuable to our practice and offers us a chance to rethink our decisions from the project. Items such as discoloration of the exterior siding, the impact of environmental pollution (pollen, dust, etc.) on the deck boards, condensation from the HVAC system, slipperiness of the stair treads, and how rainwater is directed and collected have been discussed at length post occupancy with the homeowners; these conversations have provided insight into the “use” of the home beyond just our design intent.

 

The River House’s design has been deliberated within and toured by the Architect as an office multiple times, during design, construction and after the project’s completion. The yearlong design process included multiple staff members, which meant multiple design philosophies, past professional experiences, and opinions on solutions.  The post-project lessons learned have been shared on a variety of topics, including opportunities and limitations afforded within certain materials, development of details, and how specific building and zoning codes informed the project. The Architect has met with the general contractor following the project’s completion to discuss the construction process, where it was most successful, and how parts can be improved in the future. The Architect regularly works with the professional engineers from the River House project; the work we did together here has strengthened these relationships and afforded us the chance to revisit how our collaborations work best.