Photo: Brian Thomas Jones
The owners of a private residence wanted a house that had a connection to the land. It was built on an undeveloped 5-acre site. It is rugged sandstone terrain bisected by a dry river and dotted with native yucca, oak, sagebrush and beavertail cactus.
Aaron Neubert, FAIA, founder and principal at Aaron Neubert Architects Inc. (ANX), says, “In response to the challenge of creating spaces to view, measure and engage with the diversity of the surrounding semi-arid landscape, the Arroyo Oak House is open and transparent, immersed in natural light and visually integrated with the surrounding Sierra Pelona Mountains. Optimizing the connection to this unique topography, multiple interlocking program-specific pavilions are oriented across the site. The placement and overlap of these pavilions result in varying scales of gardens, terraces and decks, encouraging landscape elements to literally and perceptually permeate the home’s interior.”
The 4,911-square-foot house has an elevated, horizontally clad zinc volume. It is a combination of transparent to focus attention on the distant ridgelines and semi-reflective to capture an impression of the clouds.
“Entering below the elevated mass and into the living level, primary apertures located on the perimeter and secondary fissures between the pavilions collage distinct mountain and sky views,” Neubert says. “Split-level interior spaces expand into exterior terraces, collapsing the domestic environment upon the rural landscape.”
The first floor extends into a hillside and provides an unobstructed, panoramic vista. Inside, there is a guest suite, gym, laundry room and pool terrace.
“The continuous materiality of cedar and limestone accentuates the experiential relationship between inside and out,” Neubert says. “This connection to the outdoors continues on the upper level, which contains the primary bedroom, home office, two secondary bedrooms, linear balcony and lounge deck.
“The pool terrace and adjacent open-air living room unfold onto the meadow and ultimately the arroyo below, augmenting a natural, preexisting path for animals with a minimally delineated walking loop with which to explore the site. The sensitive nature of the fire susceptible landscape, as well as the unique climate, solar and seasonal conditions, called for careful positioning of the home, as well as consideration of plant specifications and irrigation requirements.”
To complete the project, AVE Sheet Metal and Rain Gutters Inc. fabricated and installed 24-gauge zinc panels. ASC Process Systems fabricated and installed custom staircases. Semper Solaris Construction Inc. installed the solar panels.
