The Black House

Project Statement

Upon approaching the house tucked into the landscape, you notice a dark black façade with an undulating green roof and a grand entry with expansive glass and a warm inviting entry door. As you enter the house direct site lines are maintained through the main living space of the house to a framed outside view of the sculpture garden. The house is organized into three wings. Two wings, the private master suite wing and the guest wing, are connected by the public living/dining wing. The wings are organized around an interior courtyard with a pool that disappears into the landscape. The living/dining space overlooks the interior courtyard and out into the landscape. Maintaining that the “hearth is the living psychological center of the home”, the living space is organized around the fireplace that is surrounded by glass that connects to the outdoors. The roof/ceiling is a continuous folding structure of warm IPE wood finish. The floor to ceiling glass along with the clerestory windows allow the roof to appear to lightly touch the house and provides a continuity between interior and exterior. The folded roof segments to a large custom scupper adjacent to the main entry providing a water feature focal point during rainy days that is viewed from inside and out. The materiality of the project was selected in a way to invoke a continuity with the environment. The house is clad in a black wood siding along with IPE, stone, and indoor/outdoor terrazzo. Providing a tactile nature to the finishes, the terrazzo and stone and tile are accented with brass strip patterning that mirror the folds in the roof/ceiling structure above.

Framework for Design Excellence Narrative

The owner desired to maintain views to the exterior, a black palate, and surrounding the living space around a courtyard and pool while developing a sustainable forever home.  These principals guided the design process and contributed to the overall function of the house.  The roof as an over-arching design element and feature ties the three programmed spaces together, like a tree canopy lightly perched on its trunk. The folds, generous overhangs, voids, and watersheds all work together to create an interplay of light and shadow and creating a harmony between the architectural and natural elements that lead to delight and discovery.  The owner envisioned this house as their forever home and looked to making the entire house on one main level and making all spaces universal access to be able to age in place. Hurricane impact glazing and storm shelters were put in place to minimize the effects of climate change.  Careful building orientation and strategic roof overhangs help minimize solar heat gain along with a geothermal heat pump system help to sustainably achieve greater thermal comfort and protect from a warming climate.  Stormwater management was considered throughout the project.  Pervious pavers were utilized along the long private drive to the vehicular garage.  Thoughtful water management off the folding roof structure navigates the rainwater to two custom water scuppers that visibly spills the water into the catch basins below, strategically located to be on display inside and out to engage the senses and connect people to the local climate.  As noted in several features above, the Black House touches on several AIA Design for Excellence Framework principals and utilizes Design for Integration as its primary driving guide along with Design for Water, Design for Resources, Design for Ecosystems, Design for Wellbeing and Design for Change.