TYPOLOGY: Residential

SCOPE: New Construction

SIZE: 5000 Sq. Ft.

LOCATION: Temecula, CA

Status: In-progress

CONCEPT:

The concept for this energy-efficient, off the grid, ranch development is based on a response to its regional context –a desert community in Riverside County. The property is located on the crest of a hill, with exceptional views of a rocky landscape, punctuated by large boulders, low brush, and rows of sycamore trees. The architectural objective is to create a total physical and aesthetic integration of the building with its surrounding terrain. The house is not an object sitting in the environment; but rather, an integral part of the surrounding landscape. To achieve this vision, the entire dwelling is composed of a series of low, parallel, and laterally oriented stucco and rock walls, incorporating fragmented profiles that reflect similar configurations in the Riverside County topography. In addition to providing for ‘inside/outside’ living, the ‘topography’, or ‘topo’ walls, serve as retaining walls, orientation and shading devices, seating, and planters and they have great insulating properties.