DOORS , WINDOWS & FITTINGS and meadows — gently up over logs , under low canopies , dramatically sweeping to towering heights , squeezing through rock canyons , passing water streams ... all lit from unusual and unexpected places . The heart of the home wraps around backto-back fireplaces within monolithic concrete trunks , like a gathering place at a clearing in the forest . Natural light is celebrated through glimpses , washing walls , and reflections off surfaces . Every moment of each day of the year creates entirely different qualities of light and shadow play .
" The heart of the home wraps around back-to-back fireplaces within monolithic concrete trunks ."
SUSTAINABILITY & BIOMORPHIC DESIGN
This project employs a concept of environmental stewardship that is often overlooked . Beyond the quantifiable environmental hurdles , the project has achieved , its envelope , ground-source heating and cooling , electrical harvesting , sunshine management , and resilient materials aim to directly connect the occupant in a memorable and meaningful way with its setting . The house opens and closes to highlight close and distant landscapes- low foregrounds contrasting with tree canopies and celestial events . The effect of natural light washes textures at specific moments of the day and year , telling different stories as time and seasons march on . The goal of connectedness is to produce lasting empathy and a sense of belonging and stewardship to the natural world .
Dove is a 5,000 sq ft L-shaped residence . It is designed to be highly efficient , relying on little resources to perform . 41 photovoltaic panels on its highest roof provide electricity that surpasses the home ’ s demands , allowing its surplus energy to be feed back into the grid . Geothermal energy is harnessed to condition the building throughout the seasons . Its thermal performance is enhanced by a robust blanket on all sides . When concrete masses travel from inside to outside , a distinct thermalseparation buffer is achieved .
The building enjoys green gardens on its flat roofs – these gardens are populated with local , drought tolerant plants , and are irrigated with collected site water .
CONCRETE & STEEL BEYOND STRUCTURE
Internal cast-concrete towers and walls are used to create visceral textural richness and are also designed to perform as structural armatures supporting the roof structure above . The concrete was engineered as masts to anchor a network of structural steel frames spanning across the interior spaces and beyond . This system allows the wood ceiling forms to sculpturally weave through the project and pass from space to space , seemingly floating without support . The monumental heaviness of the concrete forms creates play between the expansive openings and the lightness of the folded roof forms .
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